I do not have a testimony of having the overflow closed during sacrament meeting. I have to sit as far back as possible. I have this thing with sitting in front of other people. I don't want to feel their eyes staring at the back of my head--because that's what people do when they are behind you, look at the back of your head. Or maybe, just MAYBE that's just me who does that. It might have started when I was in hair school but I think I was doing that before then. I like staring at other people's hair. I also like watching everyone and reviewing who is at church. I can't very well do any of that from a side seat or middle seat or worst of all front seat. So you can imagine my shock and horror when I entered the chapel last week and found the overflow doors shut. My dad and I stood there for a long time trying to figure out where to go. Virtually all of the benches are taken by people who have occupied the same seats for at least the last five years. So all we could do was join one of the families on their bench. It was cramped and claustrophobic. I was totally worried about the fact that we were in someone's territory, I had people sitting behind me, and there was no way I could get out of that bench without having to do some serious climbing. I did not have the spirit with me.

So today I got there early in hopes to snag a good seat. I got lucky. The entire back bench near the door was completely unclaimed. So I took it. I saved a seat on either side of me--one for Jason and one for Deanna. Jason came in a few minutes later and sat down. So far so good. There was only room for one person to sit on the other side of me so I wasn't worried about anyone but Deanna taking it. We started to sing the opening hymn and all of sudden someone was sitting in the single seat. It wasn't Deanna. So I looked up at this person who said, "oh" knowing he had made a mistake. His wife was still standing because he clearly had poor judgement on how many could fit in that spot. He just sat there and I didn't budge because surely he was going to get up and find a spot where they would both fit. Instead he made us all move down. This left no room for Deanna and no room for the spirit in me. Once again, I was squished in a tiny space next to people I didn't want to be by--except for Jason of course. I felt terrible when Deanna came in a few minutes later and there was not a seat for her. This is exactly the sort of thing you can avoid when there is adequate seating. Apparently I am no longer going to have that and I am going to feel like Elaine on Seinfeld when she's trying to save seats at the movie theater.

This week I had a few surprise visitors including a computer genius slash model. I pulled up the photo booth on my computer and took some silly pictures with my nieces. Zoe snuck in here later and figured out how to turn it back on. Not only did she find it and open the program, she figured out how to use the special effects. So stinkin cute.

I think I love the DMV. I know it sounds crazy but where else are you going to see that wide of a variety of people? I know it sounds so cliche to say that I love people watching but I do. I think everyone does. Why do you think reality shows are such a big hit? The DMV line wrapped around the building yesterday. I brought my book and stood there and read as much as I could. I didn't want the people around me to notice that I was staring at them.

I wonder if sometimes people want you to stare at them. This Mexican kid in front of me had this hip hop ring tone for his text messaging. It only plays about 5 seconds of the song but it goes off every time he gets a text. Usually teenagers will not just send one text. They have to text 3 or 4 messages back to back. After standing in line behind this kid for an hour and a half, I wanted to grab his phone and throw it across the street.

These two black ladies in front of the Mexican kid had a baby that was probably about 9 months old. She was really cute sitting all cozy in her car seat. After about 15 minutes one of ladies pulled out a can of vienna sausages, opened it up and handed one to the baby. At first the baby stared at it like, what do you want me to do with it? She finally took it and wrapped her fingers around it. It was actually the perfect size for her tiny grip. She held it for a while and I think eventually she got curious and put it up to her mouth. I was almost shocked that this was a snack option for a baby. But this lady didn't hesitate. It was as if Gerber Graduates had been printed on the side of the can. I looked back at my book. I couldn't bare watching this. The line moved forward and we had actually made it to the next corner of the building in a half hour. I looked up from my book again to see the baby had another snack. It totally blew the vienna sausage out of the water. It was a little fried chicken leg. The baby was gnawing at it getting chicken all over the place. The lady finally got her out of the car seat and brushed the chicken pieces all over the ground. I thought, Well that's ok the birds will eat it...but will they? Do birds eat chicken? Then I noticed the bling on the baby. She had her ears pierced and she wasn't wearing studs, they were full on gold hoops! And as she was getting cleaned off the thick gold rope necklace came spilling out of her shirt! What the? I contemplated taking a picture of the scene but I didn't have a camera with me. Then I wondered even if I did, would this lady be freaked out that I was taking a picture of her and the baby? Normally in situations like this I'll have my friend stand in front of me like I'm taking their picture when really I'm focusing on what's behind them. I can't tell you how many times it has worked. But alas I was alone and without a camera....and in line at the DMV not Disneyland.

When I finally reached the front of the line, it had been about 1 hr 45 min. The worst part about it was that they couldn't take care of the problem I had. They guy handed me piece of paper and said to send a copy of my information and an explanation to bla bla bla address. And that is why I hate the DMV.

Things that only happen at a basketball game with the young women (ages 12-18) in the church.

The players hug after they foul each other.
Everyone cheers for every basket no matter what team they're on.
Gracefull ballet leaps equal a lay-up--and they start from the top of the key.
AIR BALL! again and again and again and again
Dribble?
She shoots and nothing but net! --the bottom of the net that is.
"I'm a captain! I don't have to be a good sport!"
A girl goes rogue...can't find her anywhere in the building...stop the game...oh wait there she is chillin down some random hallway.
The score is two to two--it's half time.
The ball is passed and ends up in the corner of the court nowhere near anyone playing "Oh I threw it to the wrong person!"
The ref calls a foul. The girl who fouled says, "Can't I do anything?"

Seriously I love going to these games. The girls don't get overly competitive or fight with each other. They just come to play and have a good time. Sure they totally stink at basketball but who cares when you're having fun?

Last night I watched the Olympics for a minute after LOST and it was the men's figure skating competition. A few of the competitors came out in crazy costumes and I dismissed it thinking well, of course that's what they're going to wear, they're foreigners.

Finally it was time for the 'man' from America to hit the ice.



Johnny Weir. Really?? THIS is what you are going to represent the USA?
What about a little red white and blue instead of pink tassels and glitter??
After some background investigation, I found out that he really is just a dramatic, highly effeminate male skater. I know what you're thinking, aren't ALL male skaters dramatic and highly effeminate? I suppose that they are. I guess I was just hoping for some of the competitors to put the male back in to male skater. Skating doesn't have to be all queer or girly or whatever you want to call it. Haven't we all seen the Cutting Edge? Seriously. It takes a lot of strength to pull off some of those moves and what embodies the male more than strength? I heard there is even a homosexual retired male skater commentator (did I get enough adjectives in there?) that was criticizing him for his look and his drama on the ice. I mean, even that guy is embarrassed. That's saying something.

we're a happy family

we're a happy family

me, mom, and daddy

--Ramones

So we're at Michelle's house for Christmas and we're all just hangin out when I look around and notice that WE'RE IN ORDER. This has a specific meaning in my family. For some odd reason whenever we were doing something like walking around in a zoo or sitting in the car or just watching tv, we would always be oldest to youngest or vice-versa. This was never on purpose--it was just one of those things that has no explanation and ultimately no meaning but it's just funny. Michelle hated it. Anytime Steph or myself would notice the order, we would wait and see how long it would take for her to notice. Once she noticed the smirks on our faces it didn't take her long to figure it out and move. We decided to have Alicia take a picture of us and we squished in for the picture....I just stole it from her blog!

Over Christmas vacation this year, I became engrossed in a novel written by Suzanne Collins. Some of you may have already read it, Hunger Games. My parents and I drove up to Orem to spend Christmas with my brother and sisters and I quite literally could not stop reading this book on the trip. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the mountains so I pulled the book closer so that I could make out the words. My dad must have noticed that I was going to lose my eye site so he passed me a small flashlight. I was glad that I didn't have to position the book to get light from other vehicles. Putting the book down simply wasn't an option! We stopped for dinner and I was forced back in to reality where I was so car sick from reading in the backseat, I couldn't even talk for fear the vomit would come out when my mouth opened. I was trying to tell this story and I had to stop in the middle of it because I was making myself more sick.
I had the book finished the next day and was ready to start the next in the series, Catching Fire. I didn't have the chance with everything going on so I read it as soon as I got back home. It too was amazing.
Today I am feeling a little bored--I already went to church, played Guitar Hero 3, Dr Mario, and watched a movie. All I want to do is get lost in the world of Panem and see what is going to happen with Katniss Everdeen but I can't until August 24th, when the 3rd book is released.
I just read that they are going to release a movie in 2011. I am curious what the rating will be with how gory the story is. PETA is going to freak out over how many rabbits and squirrels die. It's going to be great controversy! haha

So about an hour after I posted the last post, my parents came in to my room and said, let's see if we can sniff out the rat. So we pulled everything away from the wall where the smell was the strongest and began sniffing that wall like blood hounds. We agreed that the smell was strongest in one spot and it wasn't coming from the wall but the ceiling. So my dad changed his clothes, put on some rubber gloves and went up in to the attic. I got up on the ladder to see what was up there. It is a sea of cotton like insulation. It's the perfect nesting ground for rodents. My dad had a small rake in hand to sift through the chaos. Suddenly he spotted the rat. I cheered as my dad almost passed out from the smell that came up from the rat once he had moved the insulation from on top of it. He picked it up and put it in a plastic walmart coffin. It's now resting in peace in the trashcan outside. The smell went away almost instantaneously. ahhhh

Today is the beginning of week 4 of the bog of eternal stench in my bedroom. Something has died in one of the walls and I can't figure out which one. The window is open and the fan is on 24 hours a day even though the temperature at night has been dropping in to the 30's. I don't know what to do other than sledge hammer the walls and find the rat or whatever it is. But then I would have to re drywall and paint. Do I take the time and spend the money? Or do I hold out two more weeks and let the smell dissipate? Yesterday I bought a monster size bag of baking soda from costco. I feel a little bit deranged and psychotic carrying jars of baking soda in to my bedroom and placing them around. Sometimes I like to picture that I'm being watched by someone that has no idea what's going on.

I used to make fun of it every time I saw the infomercial: a bunch of people sitting around a fake camp fire, dressed as if involved in some kind of catholic ritual...or maybe they're all jedi knights? And who really can't figure out how to position a blanket and a remote control? Well, my vision has changed and I am a new woman with a new perspective. Michelle bought me my very own snuggie complete with the complimentary book light for my birthday. (Jason says all I need is a bunch of cats and I'm set.) At first I was a little bit leery on this thing. She pretty much bought it as a joke...I think.
I opened it up.
I put it on.
I haven't taken it off since.
Unless I leave the house but even then, I've contemplating bringing it along. It's light weight but it's so warm and so soft. I can do stuff with my hands and still be covered up...like eat ice cream, read, and, as advertised, hold the remote. So now I'm a true convert to the one and only snuggie. Don't knock it 'til you try it!

Let's take a moment to celebrate the beauty of the male body...or at least the potential of it. I used to not care about it and I still don't but I can really appreciate toned abs and huge muscley arms. I was sitting in the theater watching New Moon when there was a large gasp from the entire audience--Jacob had just taken his shirt off for the first time to dab the blood on Bella's head wound. This is when the movie got really good because from here on out, there were tan, muscle toned shirtless guys running around. If their cut off jean shorts had been any shorter, I may have felt like I was at Thunder from Down Under--not that I've ever seen that show....or I may have gotten them confused with Tobias, the never-nude from Arrested Development. Anyway, the movie went on and towards the end we see Edward again. Where there should have been another gasp as Edward was taking his shirt off, it was completely silent. I turned to Deanna and said, "Ew cover that up!" The poor guy is painted chalky and stoney for his character and supposedly he worked out but in comparison to Jacob? there was no comparison. I wanted Bella to get back on the plane to Forks right away. New Moon is supposed to make us fans of Jacob. Mission accomplished.

I've been having some of the craziest dreams lately. Why wouldn't I want to share them?

My mom and I are in the garage and this spider is there. It's about the size of a soccer ball and it looks a lot like a daddy long leg. I was in my bare feet and I was screaming at my mom to step on it as she had shoes on. Instead of stepping on it, she kicks it and it rolls all the way across the street in to the ravine. Of course it comes back and again she won't step on it. This time it's moving at ludacrous speed and I'm about to lose my mind from terror. She kicks it away again and it moves around to the side of the house. Meanwhile, there are a bunch of spiders lurking in a corner of the eaves near our heads. It's full of spider webs and all kinds of thick legged furry and sometimes colorful spiders. As my mom is turned back faced to these little monsters, to kick the one at our feet, they are b lining it to attack her. I'm screaming for her to turn around and the dream changes.
I'm at the mall with some people walking around and then I leave to find my car. I can't seem to cross the street fast enough and there are tons of cars waiting for me. Each step is incredibly painful because my legs weigh thousands of pounds. I look down to see what the problem is and I'm wearing these chunky white tennis shoes. These shoes are hard to move and I'm stressed out as the cars have stopped and are waiting for me to cross. I get through the first intersection but there is still one more. I can feel something at my ankle and look down again so see the tongues of the shoes are inflating. I start to feel things all over me inflate and I'm half floating. This makes it much easier to cross the second intersection and move through the parking lot because I can jump and float for minute, creating larger strides. I am getting closer to my car when this Japanese lady comes running towards me yelling at me in Japanese. She wants my shoes! I try to float away from her but she's keeping up. Where is my car?!! I can't find it now and she's getting closer and closer. Then I woke up.

Last night's dream was funny because Scott and Alicia had a monkey. We were at I think the Denver airport part of the time and then in Texas the other part. Initially I went to pick someone up at the airport and left the dogs in a kennel. It ended up that I was there all day and I was freaking out about having left the dogs. I finally got them and left. I was with my mom and Scott and Alicia now and we were trying to catch the train or bus to go back into the airport. We all had planes to catch at around the same time. My mom was stressed out because the trains weren't coming as frequent as they were before. Something was wrong and we were going to miss our planes. Finally we got on to a train and Scott and Alicia had a monkey. The monkey was sitting in one of the seats next to a nervous looking couple. You could tell these people did not want to be sitting next to monkey. But since the seating was limited, there was no other option. We were almost to our destinations when Scott said, uh oh the monkey pooped. He titled the monkey to the side to try and clean it up. Meanwhile the nervous couple were freaking out and they got up to get off the train. The seats were vinyl and had indents from buttons for decoration. So he was having to scrub in the cracks and folds of the vinyl. He somehow managed to get everything cleaned up and threw the waste in the a bag that was full of left over food from their lunch: left over french fries and poo. It was gross.

It takes me FOREVER to get pictures developed...I don't have a digital, I have film. So here is a look back on this year...

(I added some pictures from a wedding I did in January to my entry on April 19th. )

I went on a little bit of baking spree towards the first of the year and I made cakes whenever I could find and excuse to.

This was Easter. I found a recipe on martha stewart's website for these little cupcake chicks.

Jason won tickets to American Idol so I got to go with him. We saw Flo Rida perform Right Round and the blind kid get eliminated.

He looks totally insane in this picture. It makes me laugh!

I don't think I ever did my post for Memorial Day...at least I can't find one. So here goes. I actually celebrated Memorial Day. I went to the National cemetary in Riverside and listened to congressman Ken Calvert speak along with a few other major army/navy/marine generals or captains or whatever you call them. I got teary eyed and patriotic. It was awesome. It all started because there are THOUSANDS of motorcycles that drive up Alessandro by my house on memorial day. We like to go out and watch them because it's kinda funny. This year we decided to follow them and check out where they end up. So here's some pics of that.

watching them ride...


parked at the cemetary

there were thousands and thousands of bikes

and there was lots and lots of leather

flags on all of the grave stones (my grandpa green is buried here)

Do you ever read a word totally wrong to the point that your like, what does that even mean?? and it's a word like sharing? Obviously I have and with the word sharing. I read it with the emphasis on the ring part. Totally changes thing. shaRING! I'm smart.

OK anyway, today I thought it would be a good idea to mow the lawn in the backyard.

1. exercise

2. sunshine/spending time outside

3. help my dad out

First things first. I had to get dressed and put on my yard work shoes that have been sitting on the back porch. That's kind of where those shoes live which may be a bad idea if you are afraid of putting your foot in to a dark place where bugs could potentially live. But so far I haven't had a problem and it has only recently become a very bad idea since there is no longer a pest control company spraying the house. The front doorway/porch has been taken over by spiders--and not just any spiders, BIG SCARY spiders. It has gotten to the point where I am afraid to come in and out of the front door at night. How do I know spiders can't communicate, form an army, and sabotage me? It doesn't help that I had a dream where my sister was dangling a large grey spider over my face and laughing like I was crazy for being afraid. Here is picture of a web off to the side of the porch.

Anyway, this is just the front porch. I haven't even gotten to the back porch. I haven't spent very much time out there since the dogs have gone home so naturally my shoes and my mom's shoes have become excellent habitats for spiders. There were spiderwebs all over them, inside and out. I carefully began to deweb them and I used a pair of scizzors that happened to be sitting there to scrape out the insides. All of a sudden this huge black nasty spider came crawling out from the toe of the shoe and I started screaming.

Mowing the lawn was kind of like doing a buzz cut. I had to make sure I went over the lawn and cut it evenly and not leave long blades of grass. Afterwards, I needed to go around an trim the edges but I'm kind of afraid of that tool so I'll let my dad take care of it. All in all it was fun but next time I am going to wear gloves and a space suit.

1. gigantic bees

2. flies all over me

3. oh yeah I'm kinda allergic to grass

I'M GROWING MY HAIR OUT.

And for those of you that have grown your hair out, you know why I wrote that in all caps. For those of you that haven't, I'll fill you in on what it's like.
IT TAKES FOREVER.
I stopped cutting it in November and I've done two baby trims. I think I've gained about 5 to 6 inches. But somehow it doesn't feel like enough and now it's hitting my shoulders at this horrible spot. It's the worst most unflattering length and my hair when it's down looks crappy no matter what. So I'm doing my best to barrel through it. I'm newly addicted to this front braid thing that I totally copied from one of my fellow salon chicks.

and my hair is in a bun or a ponytail as much as possible.

If I can just make it to November, I'll be home free. Until then, UGH!

bye bye Izzy and Lilly.

They've been with me since April--while Scott and Alicia were in Boston. We've had lots of drama with surgery, foxtails, flees, poo, puke, peeing on the carpet, obsession with playing fetch, bark from outside being dragged inside, and playing behind and under the couch. After my parents drove away with them today, I started to cry--and not tears of joy, but sadness. So I went in to the back yard to clean up all of the poo from the last few days just so I could be reminded of all of the grunt work that comes with having them around. It kinda stopped the tears but as soon as I came home from work to an empty house, absolute silence, and no dogs barking for my attention, I got sad again. Before I got them, I suspected that I would get attached and cry when I had to give them back but then after having taken Lilly to the vet 6 times, I thought it wouldn't be so bad. I guess when you go great lengths to take care of something, you develop love for it. I keep saying I don't want a dog but maybe, just maybe, I do.

(crappy cell phone pictures--sorry)

I went with Jason to an art opening called Cute and Dangerous at the art gallery Seven Degrees on Friday night. It was probably the strangest art opening I've ever been to. First of all, I have no idea what to call the genre of art and second of all there were costumed individuals. Most of the art is kind of like Japanime and kind of like graffiti. I personally felt like I had walked in to a Hello Kitty store. It was fun and kind of interesting. Mike and Jason both told me that this type of art is kind of an up and coming trend right now. (so hot right now). Here are some pics. There were a ton of photographers there and so I take zero credit for any of these pictures.











This graffiti artist left the canvas uncolored...

so the crowd could color it in for him...

oh look--who's that?

Jason and me

Leave it to JJ Abrams to make me a TREKKIE. It was inevitable really. I love science fiction and I am a total star wars fan. (I mean, how could I not be a star wars fan when my little brother used to get up at 6am every morning and beg my parents to put it on. Throughout an entire summer I awoke to find myself in a land far far away.) I also love the Alien movies, Terminator movies, and the 5th Element. AND (nerd alert!) I used to watch the sci fi channel from time to time. I watched this one movie about a science guy who was so obsessed with cobra snakes that he created a formula from their venom to slowly transform his assistant in to a cobra snake. The irony was that once the assistant was a snake, he bit the science guy and killed him. You would think I would have seen this movie once because I was super bored or whatever one day but I actually saw it twice, years and years apart. I have no idea what it's called though. I'm sorry because I know anyone who reads this is going to want to run out and rent it or add it to the netflix list. Anyway, so JJ Abrams Star Trek was a fantastic movie. The hair and makeup was phenomenal. A lot of times I am distracted by crappy wigs or super obvious fake blood but not with this one! I didn't even recognize Eric Bana! Super hot Eric was so well transformed into his character. Good job hair and make up team and good job JJ, as always.

So I read Heather's blog today and found out that a wedding I did hair/make up for was featured on two different websites: Wedding Chicks and Vintage Glam! My name was mentioned in one of them and the other said they loved the hair and makeup! ahhh...so awesome!

The other day Jason asked me what was up with Fast and Furious making more money in it's opening weekend than all three previous fast and furious movies put together. I had some explanation of why: bla bla it's all the hype, bla bla there aren't any other good movies to see right now, bla bla movie tickets prices are way highter, bla bla bla. But today I realized that all of that was WRONG. I was WAY OFF. This song came on as I was driving: 'We Are Rockstars' by British electro-rock band 'Does It Offend You, Yeah?'. It's the song they play in the Fast and Furious trailor. Suddenly all I could see was Vin Diesel showing off his hot muscles in his hot muscle car and I wanted to drive over to the movie theater. It's the song! It's like the pied piper calling us to join him! And it's working! If only movies weren't $11 I could be watching it AGAIN!