I never liked sleep anyway....

Summa-summa-summatime!

2009-08-12T09:56:00.002-05:00

Time to sit back and unwind....

Or not.

This summer has been totally crazy and hectic. There has been some fun...however, there have been a lot of setbacks as well. June 8th I lost my job, July 8th I was rear-ended by a city truck, grandma started chemo to treat her breast cancer...and I'll stop there. Positives? I did get a new car, the hubby started a new job that he really seems to like, and I have been able to spend a lot of quality time with my friends and family.

The end of summer is in sight, which makes me sad...but i love pulling out my jeans and sweatshirts for football season!!

And...Kathy and I are planning a trip to Colorado for next week, so I have that to look forward to as well! Hooray!

New favorite

2009-06-14T21:27:00.002-05:00

So, I went to the Coldplay concert last night. Let me just say...the show was absolutely amazing!! Opening for them was Snow Patrol (also good), and Howling Bells. I decided I liked their sound at the show, so I bought their album today. Loves it. I also love that the lead singer was a chick with an awesome voice, she played guitar, wore heels and a mini skirt, and rocked the crap outta that drum on their last song. New. Favorite.
You can enjoy one of their songs that they played the other night here:

Happy Birthday Baby G!

2009-06-14T13:40:00.012-05:00

I'm a week late.....but Happy Birthday to our favorite 1 year old! We celebrated last week at Sortinos with pizza and cake. Mmmmmmm....cake.

Unemployment...Day 1

2009-06-09T15:22:00.003-05:00

Activities thus far:

Slept.
Stared at the wall.
Drank coffee and Facebooked.
Went rollerblading.
Realized how out of shape I am.
Showered.
Lunch.
Bought new eyeshadow.
And a Shamwow.

Success? I like to think so....

Food Network...It's a love/hate thing.

2009-02-22T13:27:00.001-06:00

I decided that I felt so strongly on the subject, that I had to get it all out....enjoy.

I LOVE cooking, I LIKE baking, and I am ALWAYS up for trying my hand at a new recipe. If you come to my house, chances are good that I WILL TRY TO FEED YOU. I prefer cooking to baking, because my chances of being able to "fix" the dish are higher if I mess it up a little. You cannot, however, do that with baking. You hope and pray when you put your creation into the oven that you measured everything just right. Because once it comes out of the oven, it's either good, bad or ugly, and there's little you can do to fix it. Needless to say, I have taken numerous things out of my oven, and transferred them straight to the garbage.

Now, onto the "meat" of my rant/rave. I typically really like to watch Food Network. I have spent about 2.5 hours watching it today already. Here are some of my observations about the shows I watched today....followed by my feelings on other shows/cooks.

Cooking For Real with Sunny Anderson: I watched this show first this morning. Truth be told, I had never watched this show before. It was about average. She made some meatloaf stuffed tri-color peppers and mac and cheese. I love mac and cheese any way I can get it, so...WIN. Her recipes looked great. She was a decent host, and not too annoying. I would definitely watch her again.

30 Min meals with Rachael Ray: Of course I like RR. I love all of her recipes, as they are fairly easy to make, and look delicious every time. She's cute, quirky and i like that she's shaped like a real woman. Her and I have similar baking issues, and I can respect that. I sometimes get annoyed with certain sayings that she has, or certain pronunciations, but I really like her Big Chill fridge, so that makes up for it. I also like her talk show on daytime television. I think she has the right amount of cleavage, and I enjoy counting how many wrap dresses she has....cuz damn, homegirl has about a million. My cousin Erin watches her, but on mute, because she can't stand to hear her talk (or say Parmesan for that matter).

Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee: Hates it. FAIL of epic proportions. Faults; I don't even know where to begin. She's too skinny (I don't trust a skinny cook), her sleeves appear to drag in her dishes (she never pushes them up, and real cooks DON'T wear long sleeves), she uses mashed potatoes she got from the deli (which, are always powdered, gross), her outfit always matches her set (puke), she does "tablescapes" (vomit, your food should be good enough on its own so you don't have to hide it behind matching table linens, chargers and centerpieces), she seems afraid to get her hands dirty, and her voice annoys me. There, I will stop. Positive points......she used a slow cooker, which I liked, because I love getting new ideas for things to make in my crock pot. Overall, I don't know how she even got her own show. I could do better.

Paula's Home Cooking with Paula Dean: I just want to hug Paula Dean. I love how she finds a way to put butter into EVERY DISH THAT SHE COOKS. Each recipe usually looks like it has 65,836 calories, but I don't mind one bit. That's how home cooking should be. She does say ya'll a lot, but that's part of her charm. I trust her, because I can tell that she eats her own cooking. **edit** I also noticed that she had a Macbook Pro sitting on her countertop. WIN Paula, WIN.

Rescue Chef with Danny Boome: Mildly annoying, because of the way I feel he plays up his British accent, but ...he made Shepherd's Pie (an old favorite of mine), and showed a lady how to hide more vegetables in it, which I am always trying to do with Matt. I would watch it again I guess, but not on a regular basis.

Down Home With the Neelys: UGH. I think I throw up in my mouth every time I watch it. The recipes usually look great, down home southern cooking, delicious. But they kiss approx. 734 times on each episode, and he is always asking for "some brown sugar". Sick me out. As far as I'm concerned, I DO NOT want my husband in the kitchen with me. Nobody I know has that much fun cooking with their husbands. The kitchen is MY domain, and I tend to be very territorial. If he is in the kitchen, that's fine, as long as he is on the other side of the counter, and out of my way.

That's all of the shows I watched this morning. Thoughts on other hosts.....

Giada De Laurentiis: She's hot, which is why Matt will watch this show. He will watch her and RR, that's it. Giada's food is delicious, and she was actually born in Italy, which gives her a few points. But....homegirl is too skinny. put a good 10 lbs on her, and I would trust her a little more. There's no way she really eats like she cooks.

Bobbie Flay: Great recipes. Like watching him. His food is very manly, and I think Matt would eat most of it.

Emeril: Great recipes, very energetic. Uses lots of bacon because PORK FAT RULES. I add bacon to things whenever I can, so I'm totally down with Emeril.

Guy Fieri: LOVE his recipes, they are easy and Matt would eat most of them. His hair does scare me just a little, but other than that, love watching him.

Good Eats with Alton Brown: Alton seems to be very factual. I feel like I learn a lot when I watch him. Not just HOW to do things, but WHY they need to be done a certain way. He's a little geeky, but I kind of like it.

Ace of Cakes: HEART THAT SHOW. So creative, so amazing. It's something I could NEVER do, but I still love to watch it. Duff is a wicked genius, and he curses sometimes, which adds some much needed color to the Food Network.

That's all the further I'm going to go. I haven't watched the rest of the shows enough to comment too much on them. Oh, except for one more, Unwrapped. Gotta love the OCD Marc Summers. I like to see how things are made, but I really just wish he would start up Double Dare again. Fo shiz.

Ultimately, I think I would do a great show on Food Network. It would at the VERY LEAST be better than Semi-Homemade. no doubt.

Nothing says "Peace On Earth"...

2008-12-08T22:53:00.006-06:00

...like a fiber-optic baby Jesus. I believe Grandma Jan gave this to me a couple years ago. It sits underneath our Christmas Tree. I just love how bright neon colors shoot out from his face, don't you? And the angels seem extra "angelic" when their wings are flashing like a drive thru liquor store sign. Happy Birthday Jesus. Peace on Earth, and good will towards men.

.It's not enough.

2008-11-24T20:13:00.005-06:00

.2 days is not enough.

not enough time to try to make you smile again.

not enough time to go on a year's worth of lunches.

not enough time to talk about that new man your life.

not enough time to laugh.

---------------------------------

it's not enough time to catch up on what I've missed.

it's not enough time to talk about food.

it's not enough time to talk about that crazy customer.

and it's not enough time to even tell you that I like your new wig.

----------------------------------

it's not enough time to talk about fashion.

it's not enough time bitch about the boss.

it's not enough time to talk about the husband.

it's not enough time to tell you i'm at a loss.

----------------------------------

it's not enough time to giggle about how that last set rhymes, because we both know I'm not a fucking poet.

----------------------------------

it's not enough time to get to the casino after you tell me that your hand itches, because you told me that if your hand ever starts itchin, somebody you know is gonna win some money at the boats.

----------------------------------

it's not enough time to drool over that Tiffany's catalogue one last time

----------------------------------

it's not even enough time to see your mischievious grin again. because you'll be gone before I get the chance.

----------------------------------

.2 days could never be enough time.

Love you Nat.

It was a fun ride.

Christmas Came Early This Year...

2008-11-23T09:36:00.002-06:00

Guess who is hitting the road again on tour in 2009?

Baby, I just can't wait.

New Camera

2008-11-09T11:45:00.002-06:00

I need one. My CoolPix circa 2002 is dying a slow and painful death. I get a ton of "lens error" messages, the batteries don't last that long, and really, if you use the flash, it takes 2 seconds to actually take the picture. and 2 seconds in the world of photography is an extremely long time. Of course, Danelle just purchased herself a loverly new Nikon D90 (lucky!). Which leaves me wondering:

Do I purchase her D70 (which she has offered to me for the bargain basement price of $450), or do I just buy myself a new point and shoot (more than likely canon) for a couple hundred.

I am torn, and apparently unable to make a decision of this magnitude. What's a camera-less girl to do?

Breakfast menu

2008-10-16T06:23:00.001-05:00

I found out today how goldfish crackers get so cheesy...i caught these little bastards trying to eat my mini wheel of semisoft babybel. Nice try guys.

Breakfast of champions

2008-10-15T06:51:00.001-05:00

I don't really even like raisins that much, due to th fact that they do NOT look appealing whatsoever. I ate goldfish crackers as well. What a gourmet i am at 4am...

I think I just died inside...

2008-10-09T11:14:00.001-05:00

I just finished making Aunt Teri's birthday cake. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU JUST HOW DELICIOUS this creation is gonna be. Devils food cake, peanut butter cream cheese frosting, and chocolate peanut butter ganache to top it off. This cake is fierce. Be jealous.

Could Friday get any sweeter?

2008-10-07T08:09:00.001-05:00

I stopped at Cupcake Island Friday morning for some cupcakes. I didn't need them, it wasn't a special occasion, but damn, it made my Friday just that much better...

Today is the day ...

2008-08-19T15:06:00.003-05:00

...I will start writing blog ideas down. I've been meaning to do so for quite some time now. What I believe will help is the new cute little red leather-bound journal I bought at the discount/used bookstore yesterday. Although I doubt its leather heritage due to the fact that it cost me all of 4 dollars. Typically, the only cow product one can buy for under 5 dollars is a hamburger. Either way, I think it will help so that I have a constant pool of ideas to draw from. Some days I think to myself, "this is AMAZING! I must blog about this!" And then I conveniently forget what was so amazing. I will sit and stare at my keys, a new blog open, just waiting for some genius to tidalwave onto the page, and I am surprised when nothing happens. Well, no more my friends.

May the tidalwave of fresh ideas begin!

Today, my dilema is:
what to do with my afternoon.

Options:
take a bike ride or walk
scrub floors
clean my closet
waste time on the internets

I am opting for cleaning my closet, as it needs to be done very BADLY. Although, it is going to be quite an undertaking, as it is 3:15 already, and I am meeting a friend for sushi at 5. Maybe I will perform this task in phases, today's phase: denim.

I decided yesterday that Mondays would be "baking days". (I baked cupcakes yesterday). In order to keep myself occupied, I have decided that each day should have a preordained task. I am tired of spending too much time on the web, and need a schedule to keep me on task. I am open to ideas as to what my other "days" should be. Suggestions?

Oh, and sushi today is at the new "Baby" Blue. I have not been there yet, you can expect a report to follow.

In a food coma...

2008-08-12T09:35:00.003-05:00

I know I have been M.I.A. for awhile...and I apologize. Things that have happened in the last few weeks: Matt lost his job, went camping for Kathy's birthday, Uncle Jim died, and I went to KC this past weekend. My cousin Erin let Kathy and I bring a box full of goodies from her bakery, Dolce Baking Co., home with us. My box of tasty treats is almost gone...I planned on bringing some in to work...but Matt and I decided not to share. It was full of assorted cupcakes, peanut butter tortes, key lime torts, panna cotta, a peanut butter and jelly bar and her famous macaroons. I don't usually eat macaroons...and I will never, from here on out EVER buy them in a store. Because unless it is made by Erin, there's just no point. It will no doubt be a disappointment of epic porportions.

Thanks cuz, everything was magically delicious!

Hunka Hunka Burnin Love!

2008-07-21T15:53:00.007-05:00

That's right ladies and gentlemen. Danelle and I were guest judges this weekend at Horseshoe Casino's Elvisfest 2008. We judged the 12th Annual Images of the King contest and it was AWESOME! Danelle took the videos and pics, as I was apparently way too lazy to get my camera out.

The performers were actually VERY talented. We were surprised to be honest, I mean, c'mon folks, this is Council Bluffs we are talking about. I sometimes feel like I lose an I.Q. point or two every time I step over the river.

There was quite an assortment of Elvi (I'm using this as a term for multiple Elvis'). Young Elvis, 1970's Elvis, Hula Elvis, Black Elvis and Asian Elvis. They were some swell dudes, and I might just head back to Elvisfest next year.

K-Mart sucks Ray.

2008-07-17T14:00:00.006-05:00

So, being off work by 8:30 am is great, really. I come home, have a bite to eat, take a nap, perfect, right? Plenty of time to get things done, spend the day how I choose. WRONG. Plenty of time to sit around and do NOTHING. ALL DAY. The laundry's done, the house is clean, dinner prep is finished...what's a girl to do? I'm even getting bored with MySpace and Facebook and I never thought that would happen. Some days I bake:Most days I read. I am currently close to finishing up another great Jane Austen Novel. I do laundry, I clean, but I didn't really notice a problem until I caught myself watching:
And I want to f*ing kill myself. Usually, shows of this nature make me feel really good about myself and my life situation. You know, the way you feel after watching COPS and finishing an entire bag of puffy cheetos. But lately, this is sadly not the case. Because of my horrendous schedule, I don't get to watch GOOD programming, I get stuck watching ghetto trash fight in a courtroom over $243 dollars because Tonya didn't pay Jim for that secondhand washing machine. It makes me want to cut myself.

I have plenty of friends to hang out with, but unfortunately, most of them are what I like to call REAL adults, and actually are at work during NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. Here's how the conversation usually goes:
Me: "Wanna go to the pool? Oh, I see, you're working."
"Let's go see a movie! Oh, you're in what? A meeting? Ok then."
"Do I want to go to Jazz on the Green tonight instead? HECK YES I DO! Oh wait, I have to work tomorrow morning at 4:30 am, so Jazz on the Green would keep me out WAY past my bedtime. Somebody shoot me now. Before I become like Rainman and every activity revolves around "Wapner at 4". You'll know I am about to cross the line when I start buying my underwear at K-Mart.

I've always wanted one this big...

2008-07-16T17:45:00.003-05:00

It was everything I had hoped it would be.

Trashy, just like hot garbage juice.

2008-07-16T13:19:00.008-05:00

A fun time was had by all at the Carsey trailer court this past weekend. There was plenty of Schlitz, twinkies, cheese balls, a spiked watermelon and spam on the grill. Josh and Joel made a rope swing for the tree, and there was plenty of hick music and ac/dc. Things got kinda crazy, and I spent the next morning picking beer cans out of our fence, emptying the pools, and getting the lawn chair out of my tree.

Thanks Joel, you truly were the life of the party. Except next time, you are not allowed to throw things...such as:

Chairs into the trees, SPAM onto my roof, watermelon rinds onto my roof, watermelon at Kayla's face, or beer bottles in general.

I think if your wife is in attendance next time, she will keep your ass in line. However, I loved every second of your crazy antics. Especially when you and Kyle danced like Party Boy. You know that's my favorite.

Shakespeare on the Green

2008-07-06T16:22:00.002-05:00

On Thursday night, Kathy and I went to see King Lear at Omaha's Shakespeare on the Green Festival. The weather was gorgeous. 75 degrees, slight breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. We arrived at about 6:30 pm, found a spot for our blanket and chairs, and cracked open our bottle of wine. The show didn't start till 8, but we were hungry and thirsty. By the time the show started at 8, our wine was almost gone, and we were done eating. With our bellies full of cheese, crackers and black bean salsa, we began to watch. We read the synopsis...neither of us had seen this particular play before. Approximately 5 minutes before intermission, Kathy leans over to me and asks, "are you following any of this?" I couldn't lie, I had been too busy people watching, and had not, in fact, been following along.

We left at half-time...errr...i mean, intermission. So much for Shakespeare. Ooops. Guess I'm not as much of a Shakespeare fan as I thought I was (and I didn't consider myself much of a fan to begin with). A good time was had though, despite the fact that we left early.

On a side note...at one point in the play, King Lear seemed to be chastising one of his daughters, Goneril. He accused her of being all sorts of things...and went on for what seemed like 10 full minutes. Wouldn't it just be easier, and funnier, if he just looked and her and said, in his mighty royal voice, "Goneril, you's a bitch!" I think so. Of course, in her defense, if my father gave me a name that sounded like an STD, I'd be a bitch too.

Best press release EVER written

2008-07-01T14:17:00.000-05:00

I got this release his morning at work. It made me laugh. Why can't all press releases start out this way? At least I would know immediately what to expect...

Asians do it better

2008-06-26T10:50:00.004-05:00

ABC's Wipeout premiered last Tuesday, and while it WAS somewhat funny...I have to admit that shows of this nature are just WAY better when Asians are involved. They just flat out do it better. First of all, none of the contestants on ABC's version could make it past a single obstacle. And, most of them were way too overweight for the show. Which was funny at first, but then it got old. However, I will more than likely continue to watch, due to the fact that people falling down is almost always funny, and this week they are premiering the "Dreadmill". It looks promising in a pathetic kind of way.

Oh how I love thee, let me count the ways...

2008-06-19T13:07:00.003-05:00

I was filling out one of those stupid MySpace surveys, and rather liked my answer to question #6:

What do you think of hot dogs?

The following is my response:

My thoughts on hot dogs are rather lengthy, and my obsession goes back many years. I love hot dogs more than I can express in a setting such as this. I know that they are usually made out of all the unholy parts of the animal, but so many wrongs seem to make a right in the case of the hot dog. I love them at baseball games, at BBQs, at picnics, at Hockey games, at the movies, from gas stations, from street vendors (esp in NYC or Chicago), from Dairy Queen, from Sonic, and from the cafeteria at UNO. I grew up with them at public school, and knew that on my first day back after summer vacation, the overweight lunch lady would undoubtedly serve me one. And the "first day" hot dog always came accompanied by tater tots, peaches, a brownie and milk. My summer last year with hot dogs was amazing. I had not one, BUT 2 jobs that gave me free frankfurters. I slung weiners all summer long for ClearChannel. Every Wednesday was Weenie Wednesday, and I could eat as many as I wanted. I also got free hotdogs occasionally when I worked at the Omaha Royals games. If I am on the fence about taking a job, one of the deciding factors is whether or not I have access to free weiners. To me, hot dogs are the epitome of summer food, they are not to be eaten until the summer months (or when one is WISHING it was summer). Hot dogs do not taste the same when consumed with 12 inches of snow on the ground and a windchill of 30 below zero. I enjoy watching Nathan's hot dog eating contest every year on the 4th of July on ESPN2, and I am proud to say that my big brown eyes got a little misty when an American stole the title from that sneaky little asain (although you still hold a place in my heart Kobayashi, your trademark "shake" is adorable). So, yes, you could say that my thoughts on hot dogs are favorable...whether they are all beef or pork, in natural casing or in a labratory enhanced shell, footlong or regular boy sized, I love you. Whether you are an ALL BEEF dog from Vienna, a frankfurter from Germany, a wiener adorned "Chicago" style, a Nathan's from NYC, a nice pink one from Fairbury, NE, covered with Kraut and of Polish decent, or circumcised and Kosher from the folks at Hebrew National...whatever your cultural makeup, I love you one and all.

Guess what I am more than likely making for dinner tonight...Matt's gonna be pissed.

My new Honey's

2008-06-18T15:53:00.003-05:00

It is my friend Kayla's job to make sure that my ass looks good in my jeans. She has gone shopping with me many a time, and has witnessed the screams of utter frustration that bellow out of my dressing room. I have an ass that is a little on the larger side, and have a hard time finding jeans that fit. Time after time I have come out of the dreaded dressing room with a look of disgust on my face. Kayla just looks at me and shakes her head, then motions for me to turn my ass around and go back in from whence I came. She has made me leave the GAP on numerous occasions, empty-handed, because she has refused to let me buy their denim. (It does have a tendancy to gap in the back, or make my crotch look saggy.)

The previous is problem #1. Problem #2 for me is that I have champagne taste, but am on a beer budget. I would be completely disowned if I walked through the door with a pair of jeans costing over 85 dollars.

I have, however found that Joe's jeans have a style that actually fit my round posterior. They are called the "HONEY [n:booty fit]" and I'm a lovin every inch of their expensive denim. The tag describes them as the following:

"CURVY, voluptuous and sexy are just a few ways to describe this silhouette's show-stopping effect. Fitted at the waistand contoured for the ultra feminine PHYSIQUE. Voluptuous never had it so good." In my opinion, it might as well say, "HONEY, your ass is so big you can't fit into anything at Hollister or Abercrombie anymore. So until you learn how to lay off the beer and ice-cream, and exercise on a regular basis, you NEED me to make you feel good about yourself." Either way, I would end up with them in my closet.

This is where Kayla comes in handy. She works in Von Maur, in the department that sells the aforementioned jeans (LUCKY!). She watches the sales rack for me, and calls me the second that they are cheap enough for me to get away with buying.

Then she has them altered for me (because I am short, and EVERYTHING needs to be hemmed). In fact, I just brought home a pair today...they are a size smaller than my last pair purchased, but I have been promised that they will stretch to my liking. I can zip the suckers up, but I feel a bit sausage-esque. So either they stretch out, or I need to lose at least 5 lbs. Either way, a win-win when you consider that I got them for $45 (including alterations), when they are usually $145 jeans. Keep them coming girlfriend...because I TOTALLY ripped the crotch out of my last pair on Saturday night when we were out. I had to go home and cry myself to sleep, the whole time rocking back and forth, and trying to go to my "happy place".

So, Kayla, "THANK YOU!" from the bottom of my heart, from my ass, from my wallet, and all the onlookers who notice how luscious my ass looks in these wonders of modern stichery. Here's a pic...

And "NO" I did not authorize their website to use my picture. Jerks.

My Dad

2008-06-17T19:25:00.005-05:00

I am usually a day late and a buck short. This is no exception. I meant to post a blog about my father on FATHER'S DAY, and , well, let's face it...it just didn't happen. So here I am, 2 days later; without a blog, and I still haven't sent him his Father's Day card. There it sits, on the table in my TV room, just waiting for a stamp. I did call him on Sunday though, don't worry, I'm not a TOTAL loser. Here ya go Dad, this blogs for you.

I have many stories about my father that I could tell. I will try to keep this short and sweet, and share a few snippets of my life with my father. Snippet #1. Dad teaches me how to drive a stick:

Dad had decided that it was high time his one and only daughter learned how to drive a stick shift. He took me to the Millard North High School parking lot one Sunday afternoon in his black 1996 Chevy S-10. Keep in mind...this was only 1998, so the vehicle was still fairly new. New car scent still lingered, due to the fact that my father keeps his automobiles SPOTLESS. We arrive in the parking lot, and switch, he gets into the passenger seat, and I climb into the driver's seat of HIS baby. I am a bit nervous and have the feeling that this is NOT going to go well. Boy was I ever right. To make a long story short, after about 30 minutes of me continuously killing the engine and coming to a screeching halt, my father promptly told me...through clenched teeth...to, "GET OUT." I had killed it so many times that the check engine light had come on. It was a blaring yellow light that might as well have said, "Girl, you better get your ass into the passenger's seat, and shut your mouth. You are horrible at this." We drove home in silence, and I never drove that pickup again. That was the end of my father teaching me how to drive a stick. I actually got the hang of it a few years later...in my boyfriend at the time's car. He told me to get in, and just said, "go". He laughed at me all the way from the McDonald's at 132nd and Maple, back to Bennington.....but I made it. And I gained a great sense of accomplishment. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my first "lesson".

Snippet #2, my dad rarely curses.

Very rarely does my dad find the need to use foul language. Growing up, I might have only heard "shit" a handful of times. His favorite phrase was, "God Bless it". No other time was this better illustrated than when the drain in the basement laundry room backed up, spewing black sludge all over the floor. Whenever the toilet in the laundry was flushed, more and more spewage. The drain needed to be plunged, quick, but it wanted no part in this. My father worked tirelessly to unclog that drain. He would plunge, and plunge, and plunge, then flush the toilet to see if worked....it was like old faithful, it continued to spew each and every time. He got so angry, but refused to use the "F" bomb. The only phrases to come forth out of his angry mouth were:
"Flood, bitch, flood!" (This was his refrain each time the toilet was flushed...)
"God...Bless...AMERICA!"
Apparently, adding AMERICA onto the end of "God bless" made it more meaningful.
I giggle every time I think of this story. I laugh even harder when my brother Joel tells the story...because this is what woke him up that morning. He must have thought at first that it was Independence Day, from all the blessing of our country that my father was doing.Snippet #3:

Dad has many "isms". My favorite of which was the one he used when we were not doing what we had been told. He always asked. "DO YOU NEED ME TO DRAW YOU A PICTURE?!?!" You knew he meant business if this question was asked, because my dad is no artist. When he said, "DO YOU NEED ME TO DRAW YOU A PICTURE?!?!" What he really meant was, "QUIT ACTING LIKE A TOOL, OR I WILL BEAT YOUR ASS!!!"

Dad, I will stop there, because If you are reading this...you are thinking that I should stop here. Hence, no more snippets. I would like to say...Happy Father's Day, to the best dad a girl could have. I think that due to your efforts, I turned out to be a pretty swell egg. Just don't forget that you promised me that you would find me a Harley sometime in the near future. If I don't have one by August, you better believe that I am going to have to..."DRAW YOU A PICTURE!!"

Can we talk about something for a minute?

2008-06-13T09:21:00.003-05:00

I love my job, I really do. I enjoy having the ability to reach out to the public about something that they care very deeply about. My 30-45 seconds are heartfelt, deeply moving, and I feel like I really "put myself out there". Ok, so SOMETIMES talking about road construction is not overly excitng, but truth be told, I do have fun with what I do. Sometimes I just wish that more exciting things would happen on my watch. I never thought I would (after working at AAA) actually kinda-sorta "hope" for accidents to pop up on my screen.

For example, on Monday I believe it was, there was an overnight accident on the JFK. It involved a car smashing into a couple on a motorcycle (don't worry, everybody involved is still alive). After coming to a stop, the man driving the car promptly got out of vehicle and started running away, while taking off his clothes. "INTERESTING" I thought to myself as I listened to the story. The man was obviously high on a little more than life. I found myself thinking, "why can't that happen at 6:30 in the morning so that I can report on it?" That would be the highlight of my month, by far.

Or maybe something like THIS could happen on the W Dodge Expressway:

I bet Courtney Love was seen fleeing from this scene, shredding clothes as she hobbled down the 101.

I am patiently waiting in anticipation until one of you yay-hoos out there decides to pull some crazy shiznit. Until then, I am stuck talking about the ongoing construction on the 480/75 split. So until that day, in the words of a wise man who once told me....

"Drive fast and take chances!"

Picture of the day...

2008-06-12T13:53:00.004-05:00

...or from a couple weeks ago. Anyway, its one of my new favorites.
This is Horseshoe Bend in Page, AZ. Kathy and I hiked up to this lookout point whilst on our desert pilgrimage a few weeks back. She had a dream the night before we went that I fell over the edge and died. Luckily, her dreams do not always prove to be prophetic.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful....beautiful boy!

2008-06-10T10:00:00.006-05:00

He's quite possibly the cutest and most perfect baby I have ever seen. And no, I am not partial just because he is my first of hopefully many nieces and nephews...ok, maybe I am. Everybody, it is my pleasure to introduce to you...Gavin Thomas Carsey! Shannon and Don, you made one gorgeous kid!

My brother-in-law, Don, with his brand new addition.

Look at all that hair! He gets that from his mama.

He wasn't breathing for 3 minutes when he came out, but after some quality time in ICU, he turned out just fine!

I know babe, Uncle Matt is kinda funny looking, isn't he.

I don't think we're in Millard anymore Toto....

2008-06-08T20:28:00.009-05:00

We were too tired to stay in the basement, we didn't have a radio, and there was no flashlight to be found anywhere in the house. Needless to say, we were a little under prepared for the EF-2 tornado that ripped through Millard at approximately 2:30 this morning. We were definitely not prepped for a natural disaster, but apparently, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. By the time the sirens rang out in the wee hours of the morning, the tornado had already torn the roofs off of numerous houses, and caused plenty of damage. Luckily we missed being in the path of the beast by a grand total of about 3/4 of a mile. Thank you Jebus. Here's a few pics I took driving around this morning.
The last two are my coworkers doing their job, and doing it well! KETV Newswatch 7 was the only Omaha Station to provide breaking coverage of the storm as it happened. No other Channel in town broke in during their normal overnight broadcasting. I wish I could have watched some of this coverage, but our power was out for most of the night.

You better believe I will be a little more prepared next time the storm clouds roll in!

My most recent self-inflicted injury.

2008-06-07T11:44:00.003-05:00

I have a habit of doing moronic things in order to cause myself bodily harm. I have decided that this will be a regular addition to my blog. The last time I made an injury public knowledge was my chest wound that I received while working. It was fairly humorous (after a few days when the pain had subsided).

So, without further ado, the following is the tale of my newest injury. The story that will unfold before you will explain the roughly 3 inch long scabbed scrape on my upper left thigh. It is not a story for the faint of heart and I am not responsible if you are unable to sleep for weeks to come.

It was yesterday, Friday, June 6th. I was in the process of readying myself for work. It was approximately 3:30 in the morning. I had been out of the shower for about 30 minutes, and was in the process of applying my mask of beauty products to my face in order to make it "TV ready". I decided I needed to make use of the toilet. As I sit there, half asleep, staring at the floor, I realize that I am not alone. Out of nowhere, a fierce warrior with approximately 15 pairs of legs charges me at an incredible rate of speed. I am sure that he plans to harm me in some way, and decide to hurriedly get out of his path. I don't know where to go, or how to get there, all I know is that I need to DO IT NOW! I rise from my seated position as quickly as I can and make a mad dash for the door. As I do, I get a sharp stabbing pain on my left side, as my flesh is raked across the corner edge of my bathroom counter covered with 1976-fabulous brown mini-tile. I run out of the room and down the hall to the bedroom and "master" (3/4 closet of a bathroom) bath, where I can use the mirror and assess my injury.

I feel like I have left a piece of myself in the other bathroom. My upper left thigh is throbbing in pain, and is now blessed with a 3-4inch red, swollen, pinpoint bleeding gash. I am breathing heavy and know fully awake.

I don't want to, but I know I must confront my assailant. I am not done applying my make-up, and that is a must before going in to work. I decide to sneak, ninja-like, back into the other bathroom, armed with the first thing that I picked up; Matt's size 10 Kenneth-Cole dress shoe. I creep down the hallway and peek through the door. I see my nemesis resting calmly on the floor after his full frontal assault. He does not appear to be moving, but I know he will once he detects my presence.

I spring into action, blinded by fear and rage. I hit him once over the head and he falters, but begins flailing his appendages in my direction. I swing my weapon again at him and connect with his midsection. He appears to slow and is obviously dazed. I clamp my eyes shut and swing twice more, directing a fatal blow. The fight is over, and I reign supreme. He lays on the floor, broken and defeated. I am too disgusted to pick him up and dispose of his remains, so I throw 2 white sheets over him, and decide that Matt can deal with the carnage when he wakes up.

Who was this many-legged assailant you might ask? The one who caused such a disturbance to my regular morning routine? The one who attacked at first with such speed and cunning that I didn't even see him coming? Well, I did some research and found out that he, and others like him make regular appearances in other households across the nation. No doubt causing just as much trouble as he had in my home. I found a picture of one of his captured buddies...

Sick me out. Its like Indiana Jones' Temple of Doom all over again! I can't even look him in his beady little eyes. I am on my way to get a dehumidifier as we speak, because apparently, they thrive in dark, humid places. Thanks a lot summer, for bringing humidity with you. You undoubtedly are responsible for me almost meeting my demise.

Happy #2 Margie!

2008-06-07T11:29:00.005-05:00

To begin, I would like to start by saying, "Happy Birthday" to my little cousin Margie. You are now 2 years old, and your cupcake diva party was a blast. Matt was very happy with it, in fact. Miller Lite, cupcakes, and your brother Ben's pint sized golf club set. He could not have been happier.I did watch you drop your cupcake (frosting side down) twice. But that's ok, its your birthday, and there were plenty more for you to have.

So, in conclusion, may the rest of your toddler years be bright and cupcake filled. May you aim to be as carefree as you are now....and don't let anybody tell you that running around your lawn in a lavender skirted swimsuit with a frosting-covered face is unladylike. As sure as the day is long, they will tell you that once you hit the age of 25. I know it has happened to me on more than one occasion.

A promise and a commitment

2008-06-07T11:20:00.002-05:00

I have been lazy the last 2 weeks. And by lazy, I mean completely uncaring as to how I spend most of my day. In fact, during the last few weeks, this has been my daily agenda:

-Wake up at 2:45am and ready myself for work.
-Arrive to work at 4:30 am, work until 8:30.
-Home by 9 am, prepare something to eat.
-check e-mail/myspace/facebook/blogs i adore.
-NAPTIME (this time varies depending on the day, and the amount of sleep I got the night before. It can be as short as 45 minutes...or as long as 2.5 hours)
-wake up from glorious fulfilling nap, once again check myspace/facebook just to see if I have missed anything.
-waste a few hours...they just disappear.
-go to Happy hour with friends.

That's it. Really. I was sooo looking forward to this while I was still in school. And it has been somewhat fulfilling, but I am getting bored with it already. Maybe its because the pool is not ready yet (or the fact that my body is not ready for the pool). That will occupy more of my time in the weeks to come, and I am wholeheartedly looking forward to it.

So, I am committing myself to blogging, yes, blogging. I have been meaning to do it more over the last few months, and I never got around to it. I have had so much material that I could blog about, and have done nothing with it. So...here and now, I pledge to myself, and my few readers (mainly Danelle and my cousin Heidi), that I will blog on a more regular basis.

May the Blogging begin!

Dear life,

2008-04-24T20:04:00.002-05:00

I know you will stop sucking once school is over. I just know it. Until then....you suck balls. Big time. Big balls.

More posts to come once school is out.

14 more days and a wake up...you can't come soon enough,

Lou

Dear drinking-in-the-afternoon self:

2008-03-19T15:43:00.002-05:00

You are both a blessing and a curse. Needless to say that it is very fun to start drinking as early as possible, and have all day to do it. There's nothing like meeting friends at a bar before 4:00, and not stopping till 12:30 the next morning. You need to do this more often throughout the year. I have already decided this for you. However, responsible-you-work-the-next-day self thinks you are an idiot. I wish the two of you could reconcile and get along better. You share the same body for crying out loud! Learn to co-exist! Isn't there a happy medium that the two of you could agree on? I would really appreciate it if the both of you could just chat and hug it out. I've arranged a time for you to sit and discuss it over drinks. Say, 4:00 pm. today. at the bar.

Maybe you can talk about getting rid of dizzy-hungover self altogether. That would be great.

late,

Lou

Dear Bud TV,

2008-03-10T13:22:00.001-05:00

Please let me work for you someday.

Loves it.

2 weeks . sorry .

2008-03-03T19:21:00.002-06:00

I have been a busy girl. I'm too tired to be funny. So, I'll make this quick and be back soon with the funny. Right now I am so tired all i want is a date with my pillow. Getting up at 3:30 for the basically the last 8 days is starting to wear on me. So, updates!

New job. Traffic Reporter at KETV. dig.

Finally got my money from the skinny bitch, via the Douglas County Attorney's office. bonus.

Graduation is in 2 months, and I got the itis. bad.

I go to see Mamma Mia tomorrow evening. thanks Bam.

life is good...except the getting up early part. and the school part.

out.

So Long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night....

2008-02-14T10:49:00.004-06:00

The Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled you "cruel and unusual punishment". But don't worry, we're still tight. I believe Te-has is the only state in which you still reside. Bust.

So long Sparky. Here's to hoping they don't chop you up for firewood...

Is it sad that...

2008-02-04T19:08:00.000-06:00

...my day peaked at 8:45 this morning?

Allow me to elaborate. I live on a street that has a nice curve to it. It was foggy/drizzle-y last night. Now, you may think that the previous 2 sentences do not belong together. But....drizzle-y weather and temps around the freezing point make for a very slick side street. This situation gets even better when said side street is curvy. I spent about 15 minutes this morning watching boneheads go too fast down my street. I watched as the tires locked up on sedans, coupes and trucks. I watched as car after car slid into the curb, into my neighbors yards, knocked down trash cans, demolished mailboxes and almost hit one another. It was amazing. I laughed until my face hurt, until my stomach ached, and until I ran out of coffee and decided it was time to get ready for school. It was the best morning I've had in awhile.

Its a little foggy and drizzle-y again tonight, and temps are about the same as yesterday. You better believe that when my alarm goes off tomorrow morning my ass will be parked in front of my bay window. I will be in my bathrobe...coffee in hand; hoping and praying to see a similar show.

Hoping my mailbox is lucky enough to be missed again tomorrow,

Lou

Dear left boob,

2008-01-30T16:13:00.000-06:00

I am sorry I put you in harm's way yesterday afternoon. I sincerely regret having you accidentally gouged while on the job. Believe me when I say that I would never have tried to lift that heavy set wall had I known the pain that would ensue. I promise to never again come that close to the ginormous screw that emerges from the side of said set wall. I winced in pain when I saw the big purple bruise that now adorns you after yesterdays mishap. This is technically my first "chest wound", which unfortunately, had to involve you. So, once again, sorry for the bruised cleave. Here's to a quick recovery!

Get well soon!

Lou

Dear Winter:

2008-01-29T09:47:00.000-06:00

Please go away and leave me be. I am tired of your grey skies, sub-zero temps and frozen precipitation. The hems of my jeans are constantly cold and/or wet, and I am extrememly tired of bundling up like an eskimo every time a step outside. I hate that you tease me with a 50 degree day thats cloudy, then an 8 degree day with sun. Make up your mind, don't play with my emotions, its not very nice. I am thinking about not inviting you back next year. Summer, I am longing for warmer temps and sunshine, and my flip flops are more than eager to come out of hybernation. Hurry, please!

without hope or agenda,

Linsey

Oh g-ma....

2008-01-26T22:36:00.000-06:00

This weekend was fun. Mom and G-ma came to visit...some of the highlights...

2 great lunches
driving G-ma's new car, and trying to teach her what all the buttons do
Spice shopping at Penzey's
buying a new coffee mug at World Market
Mom getting pink hair

It really was a decent weekend....and I didn't get the obligatory guilt trip from grams....bonus.

For Christmas, Grandma gave me a book of my great g-ma's poems. Possibly the best gift she's ever given me. So much better than ugly slippers and itchy wool sweaters. Here's the one that grandma Melba wrote about me in 1982:

Linsey is a lollipop girl,
These sweets are hard to find
Quicksilver are her dancing feet,
Flitting butterflies, her mind.

Liquid joy, her lilting laughter,
Brown eyes full of sweet surprise.
Grown-ups find her captivating,
Little Linsey is a prize.

When our hearts are sad and weary
And our days are long and blue,
We'll just think of our sweet Linsey
And the smiles will lollipop through.

like, omg! you know?

2008-01-22T22:28:00.000-06:00

I mourn for this nation's youth. I am in complete and udder shock sometimes at the absolute bullshit that spews from their mouths when they think they are trying to have an adult conversation. Not only is their speech atrocious and their line of thinking completely self centered; they have no idea about the world which surrounds them. They are completely unable to carry on an intelligent conversation, or, ANY conversation for that matter, without using the following:

like
you know?
i mean...
oh my god

For instance...here's a short excerpt from a "conversation" (if you can call it that) I had today with a particularly child-like acquaintance of mine from school.

Her: "I like Europe. It's not like, shitty. Like it is over here, you know?"
Me: "I have to go to the bathroom."

I did, in fact, have to make use of the loo. Even if I had not needed to, however, I still would have gotten up and physically left this conversation. I could cut her down to shreds and ramble on about her lack of intelligence, but I will not. I think that most of you get my gist.

I will add one more thing. She smells bad too. Sorry, that was a little petty of me. But for reals yo, homegirl needs to wash her shit cuz it be stankin.

To the girl I smacked with the door today:

2008-01-15T22:38:00.000-06:00

Me: Exiting the auditorium in EAB
You: Walking in the hallway outside, in close (very close) proximity to the door from which I was making said exit.

You are an idiot. I said I was sorry, but really I'm not. It was the best laugh I had all day to be perfectly honest. The door (which is somewhat camouflaged) swings out to open. I actually didn't smack you with it. I opened it and watched you run right into the effing thing. You were too busy talking or texting to notice the 6 ft x 3 ft wooden wall that suddenly appeared 12 inches from your face. I suppose I could have saved you from your obvious embarrassment, but I truly don't think there was time. I laughed at you, your friend laughed at you, and I believe that you laughed at yourself. I'm pretty sure that the only thing hurt was your self confidence. Either way, it was absolutely hilarious.

Thanks for the giggles,

Lou

Dear Nevada, Utah and Arizona,

2008-01-15T10:44:00.000-06:00

I can't wait to see you. Nevada and Arizona.....its been awhile my friends. I am finally giving in to your begging, "Come visit me! I never get to see you!" Ok, ok! I'll be there in May! Utah, you are new. I have not had the pleasure of meeting you before, but I hear that you have much in store for me. And when I say "much in store" I do NOT mean another husband and a few "sister wives". In fact, I think I would make a terrible mormon, so don't try to convert me whilst I am there. At least as a Christian I can have stimulants and booze. Yay Jebus!

Anyways.....I can't wait to see the three of you. Get ready, because Kathy and I are gonna tear shit up. You might have to spend a few days cleaning up after we leave. Make sure that the following are in tip top shape for us:

Zion National Park

Lake Powell

Grand Canyon

Flagstaff/Sedona
The Strip

Oh, and can you make sure the weather is nice for us? Sunshine would be nice for all the hiking/biking/boating/rafting/driving/hanging out we are gonna do. Thanks in advance.

Planning on overstaying our welcome already,

Lou

Update!

2008-01-08T18:30:00.000-06:00

To the man who carries the dog shit around in the orange plastic sack:

I saw you again today in the neighborhood. You look like a friendly old chap. You were, once again, swinging around said bag of shit. You looked at me and smiled as I drove by and I realized that one of my judgments was, in fact, incorrect. So I wanted to post a correction.

There is no way you can whistle whilst swinging your shit. Your full set of dentures you wear are approximately 657 times too large. There is absolutely no way one could whistle anything around a grill of that magnitude.

Sorry dude,

Lou

Dear bony-ass bitch who owes me money,

2008-01-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

I'm finally sending my bounced paycheck to the Douglas County Attorney's office. I hear that once they process my request, you have 10 days to pay me or else they issue a warrant. Aweosme. Just the thought makes me as happy as a retard in a room full of bouncy balls. I'm not usually filled with this much spite for anyone, but for you I will make an exception.

The thing is that its not really about the money, its a fairly small amount actually. Its the concept of the whole thing and I really just want to cause you a bit of trouble. If it means one less pair of shoes in your closet, then so be it. I would make a comment about hoping to take food off of your table, but everyone knows you are a champion anorexic and you don't eat anyway.

Hoping to see you in an orange jumpsuit someday,

Lou

P.S. Maybe you should stop boinking the married dentist. He's not cute, and he's never going to divorce his wife for you anyway, fatty.

Dear Chelsea Handler,

2008-01-06T15:53:00.000-06:00

How I love thee. Let me count the ways.

1.)
bend over and grab your ankles.

2.) Your book: My Horizontal Life: A collection of one night stands.
I think I pee a little every time I reach for this literary wonder.

3.) Your upcoming book: Vodka, are you there? It's me, Chelsea.
I will be waiting outside of Barnes and Noble for this one.

4.)
LOVES it

5.) You are my favorite Jew.

6.) You are a very committed alcoholic. I can appreciate that.

Loving you more than life,

Lou

Random thoughts for today...

2008-01-06T00:19:00.000-06:00

Dear neighbor of mine who walks his dog and carries its shit in an orange plastic sack,

Thats f-ing nasty homes. Whats even worse is that you swing it around while you walk. You seem to be so happy to be carrying that bag of shit around and following your ugly dog that I bet you were whistling too. And you walked behind my car as I was trying to pull out of my driveway.

Your life would have been better had I hit you,

Lou

Long time, no write

2007-11-28T09:31:00.001-06:00

Its been quite awhile. Ok, its been over 3 months. Sorry. I don't think there's many that ever read this anyway. Quick update...school still keeps me busy. Busier than ever before. But here's some of what I've been up to:

http://www.unomaha.edu/broadcas/brctjrnfall07/carsey.php

Don't make fun. This was my first semester with an EFP camera. No laughing.

I also went to Dallas at the beginning of the month for a short trip. That was fun.

Thanksgiving was great. I did more cooking than ever before. After all that cooking I don't believe that he has the right to ask the question, "What's for dinner?" until at least January.

I noticed a new patch of gray hair yesterday. Must call Kylie for an appointment....

That's it for the moment. here's some pics to illustrate the last couple of months. enjoy.

To dream....

2007-08-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

It seems I have been having a lot of dreams lately. Not dreams as in hopes and goals, but dreams when I am sleeping. Wierd dreams. Dreams that when I wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I think to myself, WTF? Did I eat something wierd before I went to sleep? (I have noticed that if I partake in a treat from Taco Bell before bedtime, crazy dreams ensue.) What causes a person to dream, and what the hell do they mean? I will describe bits and pieces of my dreams last night (there were a lot of them) and maybe you can help me. They are in no specific order, as my dreams are more often than not "out of order". Here goes.

I went to London with the International Communication class. I took the trip at the end of the semester, but I did not take the formal class. I can't remember who all was on the trip, but Dierdre was with me (she is my massage therapist and we worked at the salon together). We had decided to go to Italy as well while we were in Europe. I was very very excited to be trotting around the globe, but felt underprepared. I had packed poorly, and did not bring enough underwear, or my pepto bismol. I only had $120 dollars with me, and I was to be gone for almost 3 weeks! But not to worry, my parents showed up at the airport in England and brought me about $1000. Said it was a gift, and have fun. I asked them why they came all the way to London to bring me money, they said they forgot to give it to me before I left. It was in 8 small manilla envelopes, and 2 white envelopes. The told me that one of the white envelopes had come in the mail for me. I opened it and it was a letter from Von Maur. They said that they over-deducted my taxes two years ago, and $80 was what they owed me. Bastards.

We left the airport, and I seperated from the group for a project I had to work on. I went to a local farm where they were having trouble with their pumpkin crop. The pumpkins were getting abnormally large, but rotting on the vine. The vines were EXTREMELY oversized, and there were little to no leaves on most of them. I took pictures of all this. Then I drank some orange juice, they had a lot of it there, and left.

Then Matt appeared for a bit, and I will skip to the next part.

The next thing I remember was that I came upon this GINORMOUS tree in a prarie. It looked like a tree that came out of the Amazon, because it had huge vines growing out of the top of it. There was a small beehive and a couple bees in it. I looked toward the top and saw a family of sloths hanging on the vines, they were green and covered with a moss of some type. I studied the tree for awhile, decided I liked it, then decided to come back the next day. When I returned the next day, the tree was gone, uprooted, removed. There was one lonely sloth sitting where the tree had been. I asked him what happened, and he said that someone had chopped it down and he was now homeless (I'm crazy, who else has talking sloths in their dreams?). I said I would help him find a new home, so i picked him up by his long black claws, and we went searching for a new tree.

We searched and searched and searched. We tried out half a dozen different trees, but none of them were right, they weren't large enough, or their vines weren't strong enough, and so on and so on....

The sloth and I returned to the spot where the tree had been. There was a lady there, I asked here where the tree had gone. She told me that she had it chopped down, because it was dying. I yelled and screamed at her, " but where are the sloths going to live?" She didn't seem to care, and it made me extremely angry and upset.

That's all I really remember. Crazy, huh.

I do have a dream book. But where do I begin? according to the book...

Dreaming about traveling signifies profit and pleasure combined. (hmmm, doesn't sound too bad)

To dream about finding money, denotes small worries, but much happiness. Changes will follow.

Envelopes seen in a dream , omens news of a sorrowful cast. (doh!)

To take a picture, denotes that you will engage in some unremunerative enterprise. (what?)

To dream of trees in new foliage, foretells a happy consummation of hopes and desires. Dead trees signal sorrow and loss. (hmmm....)

To dreams of vines (they appeared twice in this dream), is propitious of success and happiness.

Bees signify pleasant and profitable engagements.

To dream of anger, denotes that some awful trial awaits you. Disappointments in loved ones, and broken ties, or enemies may make new attacks upon your property or character. (good thing I don't have many enemies!)

I found no mention in my boook of pumpkins, orange juice or sloths. Bummer.

I am left with no clue as to what this all means. Maybe dream interpretation is a bunch of bologna. Thanks for nothing Freud.

Maybe I shouldn't have eaten those cashews before I went to bed......

2007-07-29T21:21:00.000-05:00

Why is it, that every summer when August begins to rear its ugly face....I feel like I have nothing to show for the summer thus far. Last year was exactly the same...and the tear before, and the year before that, etc.... Accomplishments this summer thus far....I took 3 summer classes, and received A+s in each, went to St. Louis and toured the Budweiser Brewery, watched a handful of friends get married, watched a couple of friends have babies, worked a couple of Lauder events, worked a few Royals games, went to Bennington Daze, buried my grandfather, finished the Summer mini-tour at Old-Chicago, and am buying a new house. But I don't really feel a sense of accomplishment from any of it.

Maybe I will start focusing on next summer. Maybe I will plan as many things as I possibly can for next year. That way I can have an amazing summer before getting a real-world job; but after finishing school.

Hmmmm.....I love planning.

New things....

2007-07-16T23:25:00.000-05:00

I have two new things to share.......

1.) My new MacBook Pro is on its way. get excited! I got a free nano with it as well. Shibby.

2.) I got a new gig for 3 days this summer. There's this show coming to town, maybe you have heard of it....they needed a production assistant while they are in Omaha, and well.....

that's right.

Goodbye Gramps

2007-06-29T07:56:00.000-05:00

The cancer came quickly. We found out in the middle of May, and by June 24th he was gone. I suppose in most people's eyes, that's not a very long time to "suffer" from cancer. but my family and I beg to differ. Watching someone die of cancer is the most horrible thing I have ever been through, and I have done it twice this year. Needless to say, I don't care to do it ever again. I'll have to say though, I think my family did really well. We came out knowing that death is a part of life. It's going to happen sooner or later, and as long as one is prepared, there is no fear in it.

We have plenty of good memories to cling to. Times when Grandpa put on a funny hat to make us laugh, or took us out for ice-cream, or, for his granddaughters, when he reminded us of how beautiful he thought we were. I choose to remember those moments, above all.

His funeral was yesterday, at 11 in the morning. Grandpa had been a proud NAVY man. He had enlisted when he was 21, and served in the Phillipines during the Korean War. He was in the construction brigade, they called themselves the Seabees. I sat in my seat, in the front row and listened to the soloist sing the NAVY Hymn. Then I watched closely as the Color Guard marched up the aisle and carefully folded the American Flag that had been placed over his closed casket. The tears welled up in my eyes as they did so. They did not spill over until the soldiers turned, presented my Grandmother with the flag, and saluted her. As she stared at the neatly folded flag in her lap, I noticed how tired she looked, and I cried for her. The tears spilled over, and my family and I mourned together in that moment. There was not a dry eye to be found. As I watched my grandmother hold my grandfather's flag, Taps began to play, the military's call to "Exstinguish Lights". As the soldier spoke the call, "All is well, " I believed that it would be. Eventually, just not today.

These are a few....

2007-06-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

...of my favorite things. In no particular order. I've been told that a person can, in fact, have too much of a good thing. But just how much is too much? For some reason, I CAN NOT get enough of these this summer thus far.

I guess I also shouldn't complain about the fact that I cannot seem to lose any weight lately either. But its summer time, and a girl's gonna do what a girl's gonna do. Henry David Thoreau says its ok.

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.

Thanks Henry, I needed some assurance.

Fun with the Cuz

2007-06-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

I went to KC this weekend. Had a great time seeing Mom and Dad, and was lucky to get to spend some time with my cousin Erin. I don't get to see as much of her as I would like. She took me to a wonderful sushi dinner at a new place in downtown KC. It was wonderful. They served wasabi deviled eggs. Delicious.

Then we went walking around. We happened upon a street dance/beer garden/people watching extravaganza for Kansas City's Gay Pride Week. Very interesting. I only counted three mesh shirts, so I was a little disappointed in that aspect, but I did get to see a 7 foot tall drag queen. It was one of the highlights of my day.

After partying with the gays for awhile, we went to Christopher Elbow's new shop. Erin hadn't checked it out yet, and I had not partaken in a delectable treat of Chris' in quite some time. I was elated to go. If you have never enjoyed his chocolates, you can order some here:

http://www.elbowchocolates.com/

If you have the means, I highly recommend picking some up. He makes a caramel/sea salt one that is my absolute fave. Then, $8 worth of chocolate later, we walked back to our car in the rain. Very fun evening.

The next day I mostly just hung out with mom. Then we made dinner; salmon on the grill, and whole wheat pasta with a vodka cream sauce. Wonderful. We almost singed our eyebrows off on the grill though. Nasty.

Then on sunday, I got up and went to church with Mom and Dad, then we went to Parkville for brunch at a French Restaurant, Cafe de Amis. It was wonderful, and we had a cute little french waiter. :)

All in all, I guess I mostly did A LOT of eating. Darn it. Oh well. Thanks to the fam for a wonderful weekend!!

Summer time, and the livin's easy

2007-05-21T08:51:00.000-05:00

Summer quickly approaches. I consider it to be officially summer, as most people do, after Memorial Day.

Time for Pina Coladas by the pool, swim suits hanging up to dry in my shower, and the CWS.

Time for less makeup, more sunscreen, and a larger quantity of blonde highlights.

Here's to summer, and the reasons I love it!

sun . water . vacations . hot dogs on the grill . parties with friends . beer on the patio at night . Baseball season . the CWS . outdoor concerts . patio seating . road trips . Bennington Daze . parades . driving with the sunroof open . ice cream . going to the pool . pedicures . sangria . movies . thunderstorms . golf tournaments . random marketing/promotions jobs .

Goodbye Pop

2007-04-16T22:11:00.000-05:00

Today we said goodbye to Matt's grandfather, "Pop". The funeral was at 10 am this morning. IT was your average funeral I guess you could say....flowers, good eulogy, all that. Pastor Leroy Gerner did the service, excellent job. We all went out for sushi tonight; most of us anyway. Myself, Matt, Don, Laura, Rick, Jurg, and Katie. It was a great time. We drank beer and ate sushi while revealing some of our favorite Pop stories. A "roast" for Pop you could say, without him being there. But in a way, he was there. That's just the way he would have wanted it. His loved ones together at dinner, sharing stories, laughing till they needed to wipe their eyes with a handkerchief.

Laughing all the pain away.

Pain from a hard week. Watching someone die slowly of cancer that eats you from the inside out. Pain from saying good bye to your Dad, your Father, your Grandfather, the one who raised you, believed in you, and sold caskets for a living so you could go to college and have shoes on your feet.

It was a great night. I felt that Pop was right there laughing along with all of us. We laughed so hard I think he heard us all the way from heaven.

I only knew you for about seven years Pop, but it was a fun seven years. You were a great guy. All the ladies in the retirement center loved ya, your family loved ya (even when you were a pain in the ass), your friends loved ya. And in the end, if a bunch of your loved ones can sit around at dinner and feel like you are still there, you must have done something right.

Surely. You did plenty of things right.

It's been awhile.

2007-03-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

So, It's been awhile since I have put anything on here. School and work have kept me rather busy to say the least. I suppose it's time for a little update.

I got a new sister for my birthday. Joel and Danelle got married on December 30th. Yay for having a new sister who is also my best friend and soul-sister.

Mom and Dad officially moved to KC in September. It took a couple months for me to be able to drive past their house and not start crying. I miss having my MOM and DAD around!

Still working 2 jobs and going to school full-time. I somehow managed to pull straight A's last semester, putting me on the Dean's List. I also just found out that I received a Scholarship from the Communication Department at UNO. Awesome. I will no longer complain about being an average white girl who can't get any scholarships. Thanks UNO.

Within the last few months I have joined: The National Broadcasting Society, The Omaha Press Club and the Omaha News Crew (I run camera #2, and have the best two-shot ever seen).

Went to the Justin Timberlake Concert this week. AMAZING. He rocked my face off.

And, I am going to Mexico on Tuesday for Spring Break, and to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday. YAY!

That's all for now, more to come later......

Good-bye dear Robin....

2007-03-11T11:44:00.001-05:00

Robin-
Thank you for all your years of knowledge. Nobody can get me as pumped up to sell lipstick and moisturizer. Nobody. I want to thank you for all the pep-talks, words of encouragement, tips and tricks, and advice. Thank you for teaching me my mad selling skills. If it wasn't for you, I would never have achieved "top performer". I would not have the confidence in my selling skills that I have now, or the confidence in my management skills.

Thank you for all the free stuff over the past 3 1/2 years. All the freebies at class....it was just like Christmas for a product junkie such as myself. You made me squeel with excitement.

Most of all, thanks for being real, thanks for being fun, and thanks for being a friend. We will miss you tons. Good luck with whatever you do.

(tear).

I hate my life

2006-08-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

I hate it when myspace says that an error has occured.

I hate it when Matt sticks his finger in my coin slot and thinks it is funny.

I hate it when I get so upset that I say stupid things to him.

I hate that he doesn't apologize for sticking said finger into said slot.

I hate it when he pouts.

I hate having to do homework when I am angry.

I hate not being able to concentrate.

I hate only having 1 day off a week.

I hate being invited to too many things and having to choose between friends. If it were up to me I would make it to everyone's parties, all the time.

I hate that one of my best friends is in town from halfway across the country, and I have little to no time to spend with her while she is here.

I hate working at Dillards.

I hate being broke.

I hate being negative, because usually I am the one person in this relationship that I can count on to be positive.

B-O-O, H-O-O.

the end.

It's overrated, really

2006-08-25T08:38:00.000-05:00

Sleep has always been one of my favorite things. I'm gonna really miss it this semester. I'll just have to learn how to sleep with my eyes open, with a look of interest on my face. Then I can sleep while in class, or while having a conversation, maybe even while I'm at work.