So Much To Say and So Little Time

Shirt: Banana republic, Jeans: gifted and altered from flares to skinnies; Vest: American Girl, altered to be more fitted; Boots: gifted; Jewelery: random beads.

I've been SO lazy these past couple of days! Seriously, the past week has felt like a month. The days are just c-r-a-w-l-i-n-g by. Not that I'm complaining...much. As lazy as I have been, I have also been busy. Sunday, Marty took me on a date and we saw Tron. I'll tell you more about that in a bit. Monday, I spent all day with my niece, who is eight, and we went to Disneyland. We'll get to the details on that as well. Yesterday....wow, I can't even remember. Oh, yeah, I did some shopping and then had dinner with "the girls" (who are actual girls and not whatever other thought you were thinking). And today was more shopping and hanging with the niece and SIL. So, let's rewind to Sunday...

<<Flash Back<<

Sunday night was date night, but that didn't register in my head until we were already at the mall and husband looks down at my feet and says "You wore those on our date?" He is, of course, referencing the purple rain boots I received as a gift from my mother {who reads this blog} that I wore because a) I was excited to wear them, and b) because I thought I was going to just lounge around and be comfy (aka sloppy). As I have told you before, Hubby doesn't like rain boots, purple or otherwise. We had a lengthy discussion about paying attention to each other, blah, blah, blah, ::tears::, blah, blah, ::annoying drama::, blah, blah, ::hugs::, ::kisses::, blah, blah.  

Lesson Learned: rainboots are NOT appropriate date attire and dinner and a movie always equals a date.

But "Tron" was excellent. It killed all the bad mojo in the air and replaced it with amazing techno-music and neon light wonderfulness. We saw it with the D-Box seats and it was like being on a better and extended version of Star Tours. It was AWESOME! So glad I saw it in the theater! Oh, and check this out:

The gentleman on the left is the character Castor from the new Tron movie. As soon as he walked on screen I thought to myself, "Hm, now doesn't he look familiar..." Ladies and Gents, this guy (in make-up, that is) is a dead ringer for David Bowie circa 1980's-ish. I used to have nightmares about David Bowie from the movie "Labyrinth," he scared the living day-lights out of me, but I love him anyway. Well, this Castor character's got that same creepiness to him that Jareth did. Maybe that's why I've been avoiding my computer. I was going to put a comparison photo together myself, but when I googled "Castor Tron David Bowie" this pic came up and I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. It totally made my day. :)

>>On Monday>>

Monday was the day I volunteered to spend with my niece. SIL thinks I was doing her a favor, but I really just needed an excuse to go do all the cool kid stuff again. So we went to Disneyland, full well knowing it would be a zoo, to run around and have some fun. We got there pretty early and headed out on a raft to Tom Sawyer's Island. My niece loved it! We spent a good two hours running around the caves and across the bridges. By the time we made it around to the front of the island, all of New Orlean's Square was jammed with a sea of people. It was nuts. The park actually SOLD OUT of tickets!! But it was still fun  and we managed to get in a few more attractions. The worst part was trying to get out of Disneyland...talk about fighting the tide!
Lesson Learned: No matter how crowded it is, Disneyland is still fun when experienced as a child.

>>On Tuesday>>

I slept in til noon. There! I admitted it! And it felt goooooooood! ::sticks out tongue:: Then I went shopping for house goods and drove down to Long Beach for dinner with my gal-pals. I love those girls; we're like peas in a pod, and nothing can tear us apart. ::crowd says awe...:: It's cheesy, but true. <3

 >>Today...again>> 

So, this week's been average. Not too eventful, not too boring. I should be cranking out some more fiction, though. After seeing "Tron" and getting halfway through Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy in one night, I'm definitely in Sci-Fi mode and the creative juices are a-flowin'! I also have Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter on my shelf, so there might be some more horror being posted.

Okay, done for now, more tomorrow, and let's all wish that I come up with something more interesting to post. I feel like I've just typed a whole lot of fluff.

Christmas Eve and the Container Store

It's an older pic, but it's festive, and I'm kind of out of it today. Thanx 4 ur patience....zZzZz...zZzZz...

Seriously...I just realized that I started writing this immediately after I turned on the TV downstairs. I had every intention of sitting on the couch and veging out, but instead came upstairs to write in my blog. What is wrong with me? Not only am I inconsistent and indecisive, but I'm wasting energy! Blaaaaah! And the battery in my camera is dead, but I really like what I'm wearing today. I'll post a picture of it later...I hope, actually, don't hold me to that. I *will* attempt to make an effort to wear this outfit again in the near future. I do not promise to remember that it was meant for today's post as well.

I went to the container store this morning with MIL. I LOVE that store! MIL and I were practically drooling over all the cool stuff in there. Boxes, jars, hooks, drawers, spoons, shelves...it's heaven. Whatever gadget you could possibly need for your home, it's there. I got these awesome motion sensor lights for my closet (since our main closet no longer has lights, but it's still big enough to walk into). These things are amazing! I want them everywhere, even in room that have real electrical lighting. I want them in my cupboards. I want them in my drawers. They are THAT cool! I also got a floating shelf for under the TV so Marty and I can utilize our Wii and Playstation Eye.

Oh, and I'm being held hostage in my own home by the UPS truck and FedEx. Can't go anywhere until those packages show up. So one of us is stuck here until the doorbell rings. ::sigh:: The excitement of receiving packages and the gloom of having to wait for them.

And I'm feeling very techy and proud of myself since I set up my printer to print wirelessly through our home network (a task that has been previously considered impossible). Yay, me!

So that's what I'm thinking and wearing....oh, yes, what I'm writing. Mostly a big, fat, lot of nothing. I want to write a Harry Potter fanfic, but it's not really about Harry Potter characters. I pretty much just want to jack the Hogwarts setting because it's familiar and easy. I know it, everyone else knows it, and I don't have to waste time describing teachers and hallways and other setting crap. Yes, that's right, I just want to avoid creating a setting. It's so much easier to steal someone else's. Actually...now that I'm thinking about it...it's got a very cliche storyline and it's not even dressed up in a creative vehicle. Summary: I've written nothin'. =p

In connection with writing, does anybody have any thoughts or cares about Kyrie and Jonthan {my murderous lovelies}? Yes? No? I need some feedback or they're hittin' the trash can {I guess that would turn 'no feedback' into 'negative feedback'}. I'm tired. It's Christmas Eve. I want to snuggle up with hot cocoa and a festive movie. Merry Christmas, all!

The Written Word

 I'm a literal kind of person, as in, I like literature. I wish life were more like literature with it's long and precise descriptions and thoughts being carefully contemplated. I've had some emails pass my way that are not familiar. They are strangers in their content and origin. They are about my writing...I think.

I've been writing on the internet for almost ten years (::gasp:: It can't be that long already!), but under a pen name. It's nice to have other people read your work and not have to deal with the fact that they are teachers, friends, or family. While these people are all great and I want them to read my writing, they do have their draw backs. Teachers give grades. Friends are nice to you (I don't care what disillusions some of you may have, a friend will always criticize you in a NICE way. And 'nice' is just...not). Your family is going to tell you your work is great no matter what, if they didn't, you wouldn't have shown it to them anyway. So the blessing of the internet was that it was a place for me to write and get constructive criticism about my craft. My teachers sharpened my skills, and my readers sharpened my creativity. Until recently, all of my emails were reviews of chapters of stories that I had been posting. They were either nice little nuggets of praise or some stinging ones of...not praise, let's put it like that. A few years ago I started helping other writers as a proof reader and would get requests to read and proof stories. It was a noble thought, but I would just get lost in the stories and obsess over them like they were my own. And then I felt bad for sending the stories back COVERED in red type! So, yeah...I'm not so much for proof reading anymore {but I'm not totally out of the game ;)}. And recently I have been getting emails with comments about my blog posts. I like these. I like them a lot!

In the past couple of days I have received two interesting emails of note. At first, they seemed like junk-mail. The name of the sender was unfamiliar and slightly corny, the title vague and commercialish. But they had just a hint of...oh, I don't know, something. There was something in their words that told me I should open them and see what they were about. One of them was an invitation to post my writing on a site for independent writers where I can opt to sell portions of my writing as serializations. Now, I'm not into writing for the money, but if it's offered, why look a gift horse in the mouth? The money thing aside, I was kind of thrilled that someone suggested I branch out of my safe little writing haven. I've been posting on the same site for ten years; if someone was going to take advantage of my dreams as a writer, why wait so long? The site doesn't have that many members. I still haven't looked into the site yet; I'm still skeptical. They liked my unfinished zombie story. The second email I got was an invitation to join a Harry Potter RPG. This was intriguing. Firstly, because I did not know the sender, nor any of the other recipients of the invitation. Secondly, because I am a Harry Potter fan and have been doodling a few Harry Potter fanfics over the years. Thirdly, I love RPGs and there are only a few people who know that about me. Well, I guess YOU know that about me too! I was in a couple of RPGs when I was in high school. They were old school, face to face meetings, where we used pencils, paper, and dice to determine the points we lost and gained. We also tape recorded the sessions and I might die laughing if I got to hear them again. So the idea of joining an online RPG has certainly got me interested.

I feel like I'm at the threshold of something, like I've found a door to a room and nobody's watching. But maybe it's just the coat room and nobody's watching because nobody cares. I'll have to ponder these emails and what they mean to me on a less personal level (because I take my email very personally). Until I figure them out, I'll keep blogging and telling you what I'm wearing, what I'm thinking, and what I'm writing. I think I just found what my blog is about.

Feeling Funky & Thanks Mom

Thank you, Mommy, for sponsoring this outfit. It would not have been possible without you. <3

I wish my pictures were more crisp and the colors were more vivid. I suppose I would need a better camera and lighting for that, though. I think it's more of a lighting issue than anything. The lighting at home isn't very good (all kind of yellowy and uneven) and the lighting outside, well, there's not much to speak of there either. I don't know how Elaine does it. She's only a bit further north than me and yet she's able to find these pockets of time where it isn't raining. Seriously, the rain has not stopped here in FOUR days. FOUR FREAKING DAYS!!!! It's really getting to me. I want to go out, but I don't want to deal with the weather. So instead, I stay inside and watch HGTV and dream up what I'm going to do with my future house (which will have an income suite, creative eclectic furniture, totally energy efficient appliances, made of all 'green' building materials, and hand selected by Sandra Rinomato).
EXCEPT, I can no longer spend hours watching Sandra pick houses, Scott build an apartment to die for, Vern design room, or Mike make it right. Why? Because the cable box has decided to die. It won't reboot. It won't turn on. And Time Warner's solution to this TV terror? "Try turning the box off and then on; we're going to send it some 'signals' and then proceed with a series of troubleshooting steps." Oh goody! Magic signals to smack my cable box back into action. ::nothing happens:: "Ma'm, is your TV working yet?" Umm...NO. It's doing exactly what I told you it was doing when I first called. "Ma'm we're going to have to send out a technician. How's tomorrow at 5pm?" Wait! Wait just a darn minute! What happened to the series of troubleshooting steps!?!?! You did one thing, you gave me one step. I feel cheated! I feel robbed! I want my TV back!!! Could I at least get a guess at why my box is no longer working???? No. No, I guess not. Time Warner: you suck.

Oh, and for some reason, my videos aren't playing right. So I've re-posted them, this time through YouTube. It sucks that they have black bars on them though. I like the Photobucket format so much better, but Photobucket always seems to have a busy server, which means you can't see my videos. Because I know you're watching them and DYING to see more. ;) 


And my story. No, it's not about vampires, but now that the idea has been brought to my head, I see where it might appear as such to begin with. Maybe if I take out the "darlings" and "lovelies" or if I set it during the day. I don't have anything against vampires, in fact, I like them a lot. But there are just too many vampire band-wagoners out there right now. So, yes Sandy, you are right, I'm going with serial killers. A' la "Dexter" if you will, but not heroic (cuz Dexter really is a nice guy, and I don't want to write about nice people). As my fourth grade teacher (Mr. Ledbetter) used to say "Nice is the worst word in the English language." Nice. {Does it sound weird and annoying to you yet?}

Sometimes I like to write fiction

A Possible Excerpt from a Story Possibly Called "Keeping Up Appearances: A Memoir of Style and Function"

{Reader discretion advised. "Why?" you ask?} 

He was perfect. He was everything I had ever wanted: blond hair, blue eyes, muscular build, much taller than me, an Ivy League graduate with a massive inheritance from a recently passed mommy and daddy. No family to speak of. Perfect for assimilating into my family, adding to my collection of darlings. I didn't even know his name. I didn't need to. It didn't matter what his name was. He was the perfect holiday gift, brought to me by my favorite lovely.
He looked so peaceful bundled up in the chair, his head rolled to one side. A lock of flaxen hair dangled lightly on his temple. We were going to have so much fun together.
I walked quietly up to him and breathed in his scent. He gently stirred and I smiled. He smelled good. He wore a musky cologne and there was a hint of cigar on him. He'd been at a local bookstore earlier, like he always was on Thursday nights. I'd been following him for weeks, tracking his FaceBook page, reading his blog on capitalism and free trade and other pretentious topics. Every Thursday he gathered at a local bookstore with some other college boys and they sat outside smoking cigars and talking literature and politics and, on occasion, video games and women.
I reached up to gently caress his cheek; his skin was so soft, his jaw, so strong. He jerked his head up and widened his eyes, the pupils constricting in panic. I smiled at him and he calmed for a moment. He looked around quickly and then realized that he was tied to the chair. I giggled as he tried to pull his wrists from their bindings. Yes, we would have a very good time indeed.
"Hey," he croaked, his voice hoarse from not being used in the past eight hours, "get me outta here!"
"In good time," I replied sweetly as I backed away to get a better look at him in his wakened state. I leaned against my work table and watched his eyes dart furiously around the room. I didn't know what he expected to see. My work room is very drab: concrete walls, a stainless steel wash basin, my work table; nothing too interesting. The lighting isn't very good either, just a large work light over my table, not even windows for good natural lighting. Not that I have much use for natural lighting, I prefer to work at night.
I turned my back to him and put my nails in my mouth as I mused over my tools.
"Hey!" the boy yelled at me, "Hey! I said let me outta here!" then he started to shake the chair. The sound was annoying. I bit down on my nails and started to chew. Which tool, which tool? I thought to myself, chewing away at my nails as the boy clattered away with the chair and continued his hollering. Oh, no, I thought, this noise will simply not do. I ripped the edge of a nail off one finger and picked up my trusty Blue Monarch.
"Hey," the boy said, but this time not yelling (thank god! He was getting annoying!), "What's that?"
I turned around and presented my blue handled butterfly knife like I was Vanna White. For a minute, it seemed like he had calmed down. But then he went back to hollering and clattering that damn chair.
"No, no!" he screamed. His screams were annoying, not smooth and intelligent like his regular speaking voice. In three quick steps I was in front of him and slashed at those obnoxious vocal chords. I'm good at what I do; his voice was done after that and replaced with the velvety sound of gurgling blood. I sighed and smiled as I looked down at him and listened to that comforting sound.
A soft light was cast on us both and I heard footsteps on the stairs. The boy was convulsing and his eyes were wide. I smiled at him and toyed with my Blue Monarch in my right hand, running the tip of my index finger along its handle.
"Kyrie," a familiar voice spoke, "what have you done?" It was my boss, Jonathon. He was looking from my knife holding hand and then to my face.
"Hm?" I said dreamily as I looked up at him.
"Have you been biting your nails again?" he asked as he walked over to take a closer look at my hand. I blanched in shame.
"Nice work though," he smiled, "I knew you'd find something sophisticated to do with him."
I smiled. That's why Jonathan's my favorite lovely.

-Unfortunately, I'm too lazy to proof read, so let me know if there are any glaring errors or anything that generally annoys you about this piece. I may or may not expand on this idea. I haven't decided if I like it yet.

Whoops! + Video!

Sorry I haven't blogged in two days. 
The Holiday crunch has caught me, and that means that I've been thoroughly distracted by EVERYTHING. Between gift shopping, gift giving, gift wrapping, gift unwrapping, gift making, and cooking, I've just been lost. I even had a melt down after a trip to the post office (I guess you could say I went postal). To make up for my lack of blogging, here's a holiday poem I threw together. Disclaimer: I never said I was a poet.

Twas the week before Christmas...

and I was a wreck,
I had stuff to be mailed and a dress to erect,
the weather was crummy, 
but then my sweet honey,
decided I must just open one gift.
He smiled and pointed, and wheedled  and pinched,
until I gave in and pulled out a gift that was his.
The truth of matter {If you can't already see}
is that I'd been itching for him to open his gift from me. 
So we sat on the floor and swapped coy little smiles,
as we ripped off the paper that had been on the boxes for just a short while.
We were both quite surprised as we uncovered our prizes,
mine a Flip camera with a display that does slide,
and his a large jar with "Joe Jost's" inscribed.
He couldn't believe that I'd bought him a jar,
to make pickled eggs in,  from his favorite bar.
But, no, I said sweetly, as he looked the thing over,
the jar was not bought, but made by your lover.
Then off to the market, I flew like a flash,
to buy pickling spices and eggs for my man.
Upon coming home, I whipped out the tripod,
and set up my camera to film my goings-on.








And here's a short film of me making pickled eggs for Marty in his new jar! I look like a wreck, but it was the weekend. At least my outfit is quasi-festive.

I Swear This Outfit Looked Cute In Person!

You ever have "one of those days"? Of course you do. We all do; that's how we all know what "one of those days" means. Well, it was "one of those days" for me. I overslept because I didn't get any sub calls. I love to sleep in. I have actually spent 24 hours in bed before just because I like sleeping. The down side is that when I wake up I feel like I've been hit by a truck. So, that's how I felt this morning...as I rushed outside, in the rain, in my pjs, to move my car because I parked in the leasing center's parking last night (it's ok to park there from 6pm to 9am). Upon moving my car I ripped one of my paper-thin finger nails that I've trying to grow out for 5 months. Sucky. But I did have time to make corn pudding this morning. In fact, I made two batches: one for me and one for the Christmas party at my old school. That was the awesome part of my day. I love the people I (used to) work with. I also got the good news that the district is allowing teachers to choose their subs again! Hooray! This should mean lots more work for me!

Oh, and it rained today. Sort of. It was more of fast-paced drizzle. Which is yucky. It's not really heavy enough to merit an umbrella, but it still gets you wet and you still need to use your windshield wipers. And nobody knows how to drive in it. Everyone was driving half the speed limit and it took twice as long to go anywhere. C'mon people! It's just a little rain! Get it together and know where you're going!

 And I love my corn pudding. It's delish. It's also one of the only things I know how to successfully cook. Yum! 

School Marm-ish

I went to work today! Bringin' in that money, honey! And when I go to work, I like to dress like I'm going to work. Collared shirts, you're movin' up! I think it's important for teachers to dress "professionally," and by that I mean we should look as good as any cubicle worker does, if not better. After all, we are molding the minds of the future. Shouldn't they also be learning that a teacher is a professional and worthy of a white collar? However, I also get that being a teacher also may entail crawling around on the ground, tying shoe laces, running through fields (no, not nearly as romantic as it sounds), and wiping snot. In which case, you probably don't want to be wearing Armani...or even Gap, for that matter. But, still; maybe kids wouldn't be so abusive if we looked more like their bosses and less like their moms.

Speaking of moms...no, I'm not pregnant. You'd be surprised how many people think I am whenever I say I've got news (I know I am). I subbed for a first grade class today. They're a repeat, which is always easier, and I'm SO glad that none of them called me "Mommy" today. It was cute the very first time it happened (when I was doing volunteer work during college). It has progressively become more creepy each time it happens. I had a sixth grader do it once. That was just plain WRONG. A twelve year that is your equal in height should NEVER EVER mistake you for "mommy." EVER. They were cute, but it's exhausting to have to show them how to do everything. The worst, though, is the tattling. "Oooh! I'm telling!" is enough to make me cringe and shudder in disgust. I need a some sort of threatening or witty sign to detour kids from tattling. Where/when do they develop this annoying habit? I mean, these are little kids that are TRYING to cause another little pain by getting them in trouble. Seriously? How do they come up with the idea that it's ok to do that? I think Hobbes was right: people have to learn and try to be decent.

Also today, at the same school, no less, I was privy to a brief conversation being held behind my back about my outfit. It wasn't anything bad, actually these two other teachers were remarking how cute I looked. I accepted the unintended compliment with a grain of salt, though, as I next heard a teacher say. "but I would NEVER wear that to work! I mean, it's ridiculous!" I'm a smart girl; I know she wasn't saying that I looked ridiculous. She was pointing out the fact that she knew I was working in a first grade classroom. Would any of you be surprised if I told you that this other teacher wears 80's-style-mom-jeans, white Reeboks, and a shirt that looks like it cam from the bottom of Wal-Mart's Bargain Bin, on a regular basis? With no make up? Nothing done to her hair, other than color the gray? I didn't think so. I know Adrienne already had this woman pictured as soon as she started reading this paragraph. ::sigh:: All I can do is ignore it and hope more people think like I do in the future by leading by example.

 Oh! And now that we FINALLY have TV again, I've rediscovered all of my favorite after-work programming! Here's a short list:
- The People's Court {I looooooooove it! Judge Milian is my hero!}
- Property Virgins
- Ancient Aliens {This show is DA BOMB!{I can't believe I just typed that!!} Watch it if you care anything for aliens, ancient culture, or religion.}
- I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant {You'll never forget your birth control again!}
- What Not To Wear {Show me some style love, Stacey and Clinton!}

New Learnings
* I'll get back to you on that one. I can't recall any new lessons I've learned recently. My brain is fried and I have an itch to make some corn pudding.

Freckles Run In The Family

I'm finally feeling festive! Notice the Santa inspired outfit? Notice this is the third day in a row I'm wearing some kind of knee sock? And did you notice the wreath? Today I recruited my Lil' Sis to take some photos and I reciprocated the favor. I can tell she's done this before. ::rolls eyes::

So, Sister and I don't get to spend as much time together as we would like to. This is because she lives in Palos Verdes with the parental units and I live in OC with Hubby. It's kind of a drag because when we did live in the same house she was a little kid and I was a snotty teenager. Now that she's the snotty teenager (love you sis!), we have a lot more fun together. For instance, this photo shoot! As a teen in the era of FaceBook and readily available digital cameras, Sister's (Mitsy, not Misty, the 't' comes first) new favorite hobby is taking pictures of herself and friends to place on said FaceBook. I think it's so unfair. She gets to have her teen years documented in photo according to the moments she wants to record. Now, I also took a lot of photos as a teenager, but being the oh-so-responsible teen that I was, most of them either didn't come out or get developed (this is back in the days of actual film since digital cameras were a little too expensive to be buying for your 16 year old at the time). And all the other photos were ones my parents took. Mostly prom and formal pictures. Which were quickly burned upon break-up with whoever my date was. Yes gentlemen, your images were burned. It's a good thing we broke up. :)
Anyway, back to what I like about my sister. Well, she's got a killer fashion sense! She always looks adorable. But what do you expect when she grew up with a sister like me? ;) She also has a great sense of humor; very dry and sarcastic. I hope that sticks and isn't just a teenage phase. What I don't like about her are the following: her hair, her nails,  and her height. I want these. She got the thick hair and nails that always look great, no matter what she does with them. I got the wimpy hair and nails that never do what I want them to. And she's taller than me. Do you know how much that bites? On the plus side, I might be able to convince people that I'm the little sister a few years down the line. We're ten years apart, and I like it that way. I think she likes it too. And like the title says, freckles run in our family. Which I'm mostly annoyed about, but ultimately happy with. Our older brother also has freckles (he's twelve years older than me), but he might kill me if I tried to take his picture. If you really want to see his picture, you'll have to buy his book, Camberaxe, and see his author pic. Or you can follow his blog and bug him for a pic.
Ok, I'm tired. I spent all day at my mom's and all night helping Hubby troubleshoot why the COD: Black Ops update won't download, and I need to finish up writing invitations for my sister-in-law's baby shower so I can mail them tomorrow. Oh, and I have to work tomorrow (yay!), so I'll need to go to bed soon.

New Learnings
- You are never too old to play on a swing set, but some swing sets are too old for you to play on.
- My mom has WAY more clothes and shoes than I do.
- As the crow flies, it is less than fifty feet from our computer room to our TV.
- It's a good idea to get your lace cut before you had to check-out when at the fabric store.
- Brown mailing paper + bright ribbon = cute gift wrap
- My sister thinks it would be weird if I taught at her school, but her best friend thinks it would be cool.

I ♥ the 80's {but not cloudy days}

Jacket: gifted, brand: Split; Shirt: also gifted; Belt: from my Grandpa (my grandparents have THE best clothes! No joke.); Pants: Kohl's; Leg-warmers (squee!): Target; Boots: F21; Earrings: made by my cousin's wife's sister, Heidi.

 Another attempt to get back to my old self, since I don't have work today due to personal obligations. Speaking of personal obligations, why is it so darn difficult to get television service set up? I mean, if there's a satellite in the sky, then why is it that our home is never facing that particular direction? And cable: why can't you just have the programming my husband wants?!? I'm good with the basics and a little HGTV and DIY Network thrown in, but Hubby needs his football (which means that I get some peace!)!

So let's talk COFFEE! I love this stuff! I can't start my day without it, or I'll feel sad and deprived and be in a general funk all day. My students know that a day with no coffee on the teacher's desk is a baaaaad day. The little darlings always gave me Starbuck's cards for the holidays. Aren't kids sweet? I'd be happy to take ground coffee too ::wink wink::

↑ This is my super-duper, absolutely amazing, and fantabulous coffee maker! Which was bought by my super-duper, absolutely amazing, and fantabulous husband. It's a Kuerig machine, which means that I can have my sweet, sugary coffee and Marty can have his regular, tough, and manly black coffee. It also means a lot less wasted coffee that goes cold. It only has one eensy-weensy problem: It sounds like a rocket ship when it brews. See, the water gets heated to some outrageously high temperature and then gets shot through the little little K-cups (that's what I'm holding in the other pic) at 35 mph. This all makes for excellent coffee at the perfect temperature, but it's a little jarring when you've just rolled out of bed. The newer machines are quieter, but not nearly as stylish. My mom is totally envious of ours because it's a discontinued model. She wants it. Bad. Almost to the point of buying us a new coffee machine so that she can take this one. But she knows I love it, and she's not willing to fork out the $300 bucks for the new stainless steel one. So I'll have to live with my little rocket ship. I wonder if I can find a coffee mug that looks like a little space ship...?

Jedi Shirt Project Update

I think I've succeeded in...shrinking the shirt. Which is fine, it needed to be shrunk anyway. It seems a little bit softer, but not at all thinner (fabric wise, that it). I think it's also faded a little, which is also fine. Maybe I should try dragging it around town behind my car? Running over it? Stringing it up on a flag pole during a storm? Any suggestions are more than welcome!

New Learnings

- Do NOT attempt to finish an art project, that requires the object you're working on to sit in you lap, in one day. It will result in immense neck pain.

- Leg warmers are just plain fun to wear; who cares what they look like.

- Boys shirts are very durable. 

- I still FAIL at wrapping gifts, but have improved in the gift shopping department.

- I'm going to have to break down my thoughts on and analysis of Obi-Wan Kenobi, because they are too vast and numerous for one post.

- That's it for today because it's still early and I haven't even left the house yet.

Back to School and Other Mis-Adventures

Jacket: TJ Maxx and shortened by me; Under shirt: F21; Sweater: Mode 5 (I think); Pants: so old I can't remember, but they're by Union Bay; Socks: Target; Boots: Naturalizer from TJ Maxx; Eyes: FreshLook Blends

For the first time in a very long time, I experimented with my outfit and attempted to make something unique. For those of you that know me very well, this aint exactly the old me, but I'm trying to get back there (or at least find a happy median). I didn't bother doing anything with my hair because I had to drag myself around the house this morning as it was.

Today's Doings:
* Went to CSULB to turn in some paper work, and I am officially a college student again! Actually, I can now call myself a grad student, which I think is pretty cool. I got a cool credential program admittance card too. I was a little bummed to learn

that those little cards are actually just printed on card stock and cut out with scissors. I still feel like I'm a member of some cool teaching club, though. And while I was feeling so very collegiate, I took a trip down to the bookstore to grab a CSULB pride lanyard. After being at Davis, I feel like I need to show some more school spirit than I have been in my post-graduate years. That's when I saw this: .
Screw that!!! See those poor bastards standing behind the registers? That was me last week! Thank GOD I didn't have to wear a hideous shirt like they were though! Not only was it a T-shirt advertising the buy-back, but it was an obnoxious shade of fake-money green!!! Blech!

*ALSO did lots of Christmas shopping! Samurai Hell Kitty: You are taken care of! I found you an extra sinister gifty. Mom, you're done, but you already knew that. The little sis is done and so is my other fabulous S.I.L.. I'm also proud to announce that HUBBY is taken care of! I even got him stocking stuffers! I'm doing so much better this year, and I promise that I did not buy you anything that you already have; I checked all of your stuff before I bought. He's gonna love it! I wish I could show it to all of you blog readers out there, but that would spoil the surprise since I think he reads this but doesn't tell me. So, you'll have to wait til after Christmas to see it!

* Jedi Training Academy shirt is in it's fourth hot water wash. I did a wash and soak with about 3 cups of vinegar, THEN did a wash with about a cup and a half of baking soda. No more diy explosions for me! I think I'll run it through the dryer a few times and then see how it's turned out.

Super Power Up Bonus!!

While decorating the tree last night, I found a little red envelope at the bottom of of the Christmas tub. In it I found this: and a Starbuck's gift card!! Thank you, Logan (One of my former sixth graders)! And I still have the little Santa that came with the gift card; he's sitting in my window. :) It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to remember my very first class to call my own. Someday, soon, that will happen again. Sara, if you're reading this, I'm almost there! Save me a spot!

New Learnings

- Bookstores are addicting and will cost you a parking ticket if you let yourself wander (this is actually a recurring lesson).

- Parking at a meter immediately after the meter-maid/man has come by means you're probably clear to go over your meter time by at least ten minutes.

- Square drinking glasses are a lot harder to come by than I thought.

- Going back to your college is lot more rewarding than going back to your high school.

- The Container Store just might be heaven on Earth.

Girly and Gungy...Er, Grungy

 I'm wearing the same jeans I wore yesterday and I haven't washed my hair in a couple of days. There's the gungy part. So I did my make up and threw on some pink in hopes of looking somewhat put-together. I went for the flannel in hopes of convincing you that today's style is "grunge." Did it work? Am I a fashion genius? Why thank you! It was no trouble at all!
So, I've been a little frustrated with my photo editing process lately. I've been following Sydney's tutorial for lighting effects and my photos always ended up looking washed out. Today I took my pictures outside at around ten in

Jeans: American Eagle via TJ Maxx; Undershirt: Hubby's; Button Up: Target; Shades: F21; Shoes: Payless

the morning and boy WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! I'm now getting that golden and glowy look with some decent color saturation (I only half know what I'm talking about here as I grew extremely frustrated with my one and only photography class; sorry Mr. Lanou, I just couldn't master the film). But the point is that I'm much happier with these pics and will be attempting more  outdoor photography. Now if I can just get Marty to take the pictures with his pro-style camera, then I would really be in business! Until then, it'll be the timer, a tripod or whatever is flat enough to support my camera.

Gettin' Crafty!

I have this shirt that I love (and did not take a picture of before I began my project because I was not in blog mode). It's a Jedi Training Academy shirt from Disneyland and a boys size large. It's a pity that Disney doesn't think a grown woman would appreciate an athletics style Jedi Academy shirt. I mean, it's so much more...unique, yes I'll go with that word, to wear a shirt that says "Property of Jedi Training Academy" than one that says "Property of USC Athletics." I want to both conform and stand out at the same time. It's the quirky things that count. SO, I have this shirt and it's that stiff, boxy cotton that all little boy shirts are made of (to withstand the adventure of being a little boy). But I'm a girl, and I want a shirt that is a vintage wash and super soft. So I've undertaken this task of beating my Jedi shirt to a cottony pulp. Hmm... maybe I should ask hubby if he'd like to help me with the beating part of this process. So far I have washed the shirt several times and have been sporting it as a pajama top and work out shirt in order to break it in. Then last night I soaked it in a solution of REALLY hot water, kosher salt, and baking soda. I read on a fibers forum that a vinegar soak would also help to break down the fibers. The forum suggested either white or apple vinegar, but I didn't have those. I had about a half cup of red wine vinegar. Being the impatient and impulsive thing that I am, I thought

"Hey! Why don't I add the red wine vinegar to my solution of salt and baking soda to speed up the process?"

{PAUSE}

          Okay, kids. Think back to around the fourth grade. Science class. Remember making those fake volcanoes that erupted tons of foam? Wasn't that SOOOOOO COOL?!?! Yes, yes it was. And why? Because you learned that when you mix BAKING SODA and VINEGAR you get a chemical reaction that creates lots and lots of gas and bubbles and a cool ppphhhhzzzzz noise.

 {can you see where this is headed?}
So I poured in the vinegar and got a very lovely chemical reaction that made me jump away from the sink about six feet and then start poking at my shirt with a wooden spoon. I might have also helped a bit. Luckily, I didn't have enough vinegar to create an over flow onto my counter. After letting that soak and fizz for about eight hours, I threw it in the washing machine with the last of my baking soda, an OxiClean power pack, and some more super hot water. The beating continued with a dance in the backyard with some sand, a venting sesh on the wall, dragging it on the pavement on my way to the garbage, and scrubbing it on many other rough and dirty surfaces. It's now ready for wash number two. Also in super hot water. And it only feels a smidge softer than when I began. This makes me worry about my dream to have sons. To be continued...

Also, I bought this milk bottle a couple of weeks ago. It was meant to hold vegetable oil (because the plastic it comes in always puckers and gets yucky), but I found a better bottle. Now I don't know what to do with this one. What do you think I should do with it?

New Learning
- Natural light = awesome photos.
- Be concerned when you see a little boy who's shirt's been destroyed.
- HDMI is the best connection EVER.
- I dress like a slob when I don't go to work.

Geeking Out

           I'm dressed like a nerd and today I have acted like a nerd. I didn't intentionally dress like a nerd; it just happens when I don't really think about what I'm wearing. Some girls wear sweats and a tee shirt when they feel gungy. Jeans and novelty shirts are more my thing. They're also the style choice of your average geek. Tune into "The Big Bang Theory" some time. I look like I raided Leonard's closet. I'm just missing the hoodie layered under the utility jacket.

It was a no make up kind of day.

So, I feel like a geek today because I spent forever trying to get rid of the white frames around the photos on my blog. Not the cute, vintage, polaroid frames that I've added myself, but the default ones that come with my blog template (did you notice that the white is gone?). I spent at least an hour editing html and clicking "view post" and googling solutions. Kind of reminded me of the myspace days. But there's nothing that makes me feel geekier than writing custom html. Which is lame. Maybe the fact that I'm reading a math book for fun should be what makes me feel geeky.

I then proceeded to waste lots of time playing with photos and my wacom tablet in photoshop.  I swear, I don't know how I would live my life without photoshop. It makes working with images sooooo much easier and even more fun!

Oh, and I did laundry today. :)

While we're on the topic of geek-ness, I think I'll take this time to warn you. I'm a huge Star Wars fan. HUGE. It's bad. Real bad. It's not my fault, though. I was born into it. Literally, my mom and my brother had already decked the house with so many Star Wars toys and accessories that I never even had a choice. So, prepare for a few lengthy Star Wars posts...sorry in advance.

Undershirt: J Crew; Shirt: Gottshalk's; Jeans: American Eagle via TJ Maxx; Shoes: Airwalk by Payless.

Things I've Learned Today

- Morning coffee is worth the walk across the street, to 7-11, for coffee creamer.

- Wood chips will prevent weeds from growing in empty patches of dirt.

- Don't complain about your husband's choice of fencing for the backyard when you haven't lifted a finger to make the rest of it look as great as it does. >.<  ::doh!::

- I always come up with a million great things to blog about when I start blogging, and then I forget them. So I should record these ideas as soon as they pop into my head.

- I was a pretty impressive rookie book buyer, and my husband is proud of the impression I made. =D

- Ironic: College kids are dumb, and it always seems to be the business and finance kids who can't figure out why they don't turn a profit when they sell their text books back after they have used them. (I actually learned this one a couple of days ago, but forgot to post it).

Give Her the Boot!

I've already missed a day* of blogging. Great. Off to a terrific start here, Reg! ::deep breath::

Anyway, today's topic is my new fashion obsession. Well, it's not really new. I've been thinking about these boots for quite a while actually. I want a pair of rubber rain boots.

 At first glance, I thought that this was the ugliest thing to happen to feet since clogs. But now that they've been around the fashion scene a while and have branched out into so many colors and patterns....I really want a pair.
They have some for sale in the Corral at UC Davis; they're only a few steps away.There are only two things preventing me from buying these highly functional rubber boots: the cost and my husband.

You see, I think that $40 bucks for a pair of shoes that are meant to go tromping through the mud is a bit much. It's kind of the same reason I don't own a pair of Converse. Why do they have to be so expensive? Jimmy Choos, I understand the cost. A pair of diamond studded stilettos is fairly priced at $500+. But a pair of rubber rain boots? I think it's a little excessive.

However, $115 for Hunter purple rain boots is even more excessive. I understand that they are a well trusted brand for their reliability and quality, but I don't think that they used $115 worth of rubber and "artistic design" to create them. I'm also not so much a fan of the detailing and the logo on the front of the boot. I still like the general design, though.








But the price of the classic boot is nothing compared to their high-heeled, back-laced version at $175. I absolutely LOVE this shoe, despite (or maybe because of) its impracticality. I admit that even I would think myself ridiculous in these shoes. But I still think they're adorable.




And reason number two is because my husband thinks they are ugly. Normally I just go "Pphssh!" when he tells me that something is ugly. Buuuut...I've kind of been doing that a lot lately, so I think that it's best if I just leave my fascination with the rubber boots where it is: a fascination. Besides, how often does a Southern California girl need rain boots anyway?

*I know that I've technically missed two days of blogging, but I thought I might make it home before midnight to finish this post. We almost did, but I had been in need of a bathroom break since Bakersfield. I know; TMI. Sorry.

My Blog Is BORING!

          I'm not sure that even I want to read it. Although it does look pretty. I would like to think that all blogs start out with this awkward rambling, but I just can't find any proof to support that hope. I think that some of the problem is that I'm not home and I'm not in my element and I think that everything is interesting right now because it is all new. Or maybe I think that everything is interesting anyway and I'm just one of those annoying people.
          I do have some works of fiction (incomplete, of course) that I plan on posting, but those are all at home and I'm really not feeling inspired at the moment. That's not a knock against Davis, I'm actually enjoying myself quite a bit and that's what's killing my inspiration. I'm not bored enough! So, maybe those will provide better entertainment down the road.

By the way, I forgot to tell you what I learned yesterday:
- There is no way to affectionately call someone a "chola."
- "Geek" is a universal language, but not an option in the new Facebook profile.
- It is rude to stay up all night blogging while hubby is trying to sleep after a long day working out in the wild, even though he says it's ok. Sorry about that, babe.

Yeah, yesterday wasn't very educational.

Book Worm-ish

 

I love books. I've always had a large home library. I mostly like quirky, genre books. My mom is a HUGE sci-fi nut. It must be genetic since my brother and I also are. Little sis isn't, that's how I know it's not genetic. Back to books: I love books so much, in fact, that I married a man who works with books professionally. That's why we're up here at UC Davis, to buy back text books from students. Hubby is the buy back king and I am his groupie. I blushed when he told me how well I did on my first buying yesterday. He's such a sweetie; I'm so glad that I get to work with him this week. <3

So anyway...

While working today, my new friend Karl gave me an absolutely darling gift! You see, yesterday we had this fantastic conversation about books, vampires, movies, monsters, and science fiction. It's always great to find a kindred spirit where you are least expecting it. Karl found me this adorable little book. It reads just like the old "Dick and Jane" books, but has a vampire thrown into the mix (think: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). 

Stamp this one: ADORABLY DARLING.

And since we are on the topic of books, let me show you what else I am reading in the world print:

 

 Yes, that is a math book you see! While preparing for my CSET I came across this book in my local Barnes & Noble's. I knew about and had read Danica's other two books and I thought that they were great. I did not know about this one (her newest) and immediately scooped it up, despite the fact that it was still in hard cover and I was probably going to pay twice as much for it as I needed to. However, I love this book and it has given me a whole new love for Algebra. If you hate Algebra, give this book a try and see if you two can't become friends.

I'm reading this book for the third time. Not because I love it (even though I do love it), but because I still don't feel like I know the whole story. It's a very deep book...VERY. Check out some of the chapters. How, exactly, am I supposed to follow a story when the text is in boxes, typed backwards, and has more footnotes than....well I don't know what; I've never seen so many footnotes! But it's a horror story and I enjoy the creepy feeling I get from it.

Oh, and here's what I wore today. The bathroom has the best light in our hotel room. I can't take pictures outside because Marty and I leave too early in the morning and get back too late to use any natural lighting! Oh well. Mirror shots will do for now. Serves me right for starting a blog the night before a week-long business trip.

 

Sweater: Kohl's, Shirt: Banana Republic, Pants: vintage from my mom, brand "This is Yours", Shoes: really cute black velvet pumps that you can't see, necklace: Harry Potter time turner from the Noble Collection. I'm such a dork.

 

I've been playing around with lighting effects and layers in photoshop. This one has been lightened and tinted. Does it look better like this or should I leave my pics alone?

New Learnings and Musings

A Children's Book Publisher

New Things I Have Learned Today
- A hot steamy shower that lasts too long can result in shorting out all of the electrical in a bathroom.
- Having a cheerful personality, as opposed to a blah one, makes working a whole lot easier and waiting on people a lot more enjoyable.
- A man who does not live with a woman in her mid-twenties will never understand how a boot can be just as comfortable as a sneaker, if not more so.
- Technology can connect me to anyone in the world, but still can't create a decent cataloging system.
- Charles Manon has a cell phone (who could he possibly be talking to???)
- I passed subtest II of the mathematics CSET. =D YAY!!!* 


I want to make sure that I am using the title of my blog correctly. My understanding is that a serendipitous disaster is an accidental disaster that is fortuitous. I had previously thought that I had never encountered a serendipitous disaster. However I believe that the way I met my hubby (Marty) may have been the result of a serendipitous disaster.

It was my senior year of high school and I was on top of the world. I had a boyfriend, a real boyfriend that took me out on dates and had me over to dinner at his house and spent time in my room.  I met him at prom my junior year. I'd gone stag, to shame my ex-boyfriend who was a senior and without a date to prom because I had dumped him. It really wasn't very nice of me. While there, I met a stranger, also a junior, in the karaoke room where we talked, spontaneously kissed, and at the stroke of midnight I ran off in shock that I had just kissed someone I absolutely did not know. Quite by accident, we "fell in love" and became an item in less than a week. He told me he loved me and I thought we were going to be together forever. Blah, blah, blah.; you get the picture.
          Eventually, I became disillusioned with my boyfriend. All year my friends had been telling me what a scum bag he was. Instead of listening to them and thinking about what they had to say, I lashed out a them and pushed them away. What did they know? I was in LOVE, something they couldn't possibly know anything about. But as the summer approached and I became more aware of the fact that my childhood was slipping away, I began to see what they were talking about.
It was little things, really. When he rolled his car and totaled it, I understood it was an accident. When he insisted on driving my car, even though his parents refused to let him drive one of theirs and had given me instructions not to let him drive, I began to think he was a little irresponsible. He would also compare me to his friends' girlfriends (who I could not stand to be around).
          "Why can't you be more open and adventurous like Mia?**" he would say, and be adventurous, he didn't mean going on hikes. 
          The further into senior year we got, the more I began to resent him. Especially when it came to our English class. By a twist of fate, he ended up in my English class. By nagging my counselor for two years I ended up with my favorite English teacher. He was quirky and fun and had bent over backwards my freshman year to prevent me from failing and bring me up to my potential. I owed him a lot and I wasn't about to start slacking in his class a second time around. My boyfriend, however, could have cared less. He openly called assignments from our teacher lame and pointless and never cared much about his work (he thought that I should be changing the grades for him anyway since I was also our English teacher's TA). The worst was when we teamed up for our end of the year video project. We went into Hollywood to film historic literary sights and explain their significance. When my boyfriend waited until we were at the Chateau Marmont to tell me that he hadn't charged the video camera's battery, I blew up at him. On the street. In front of several shocked on-lookers. A bellman quietly asked us to leave. That was the start of many similar incidents and shoutings.
           The morning of graduation was the last of these encounters. I woke up early that morning and spent forever and a day making myself up, doing my hair, and picking just the right outfit. I was thrilled to be graduating and my boyfriend would be escorting me to the Senior Breakfast at a downtown hotel. He showed up on time. In his jeans, t-shirt, greasy hair, and leather jacket. If you looked only at him you would have thought this was any other day and there was nothing special about it. I was annoyed that he looked like he had just rolled out of bed, but steam began trickling from my ears when he explained that we would need to be stopping by the school first so he could complete his physics presentation because he had not done it on the day it was due: last week. I drove him to his class silently. I could have been mistaken for a pot that had been boiling over too long as I stood in the back of the room waiting for him to finish not only his project but having a social conversation with his teacher. We were late for the breakfast. Very late and he was being cordial as if there were nothing more important that chit chatting about the weather. I was too angry to speak.
           My friends had saved us a couple of seats at their table when we got to breakfast. I loosened up as I joked with my friends about the answers we wrote for our ten year anniversary cards. My boyfriend was uninterested, but did manage to get into a nasty argument with my best friend. They had never gotten along, but thought that they didn't need to. He thought I was nuts for being upset at the offensive things he had said to my best friend and we left early...because he had a doctor's appointment...which he forgot to tell me about. On the way to his doctor, we continued our 'discussion' about his opinion of my friends. Discussion became screaming and crying and slamming on the brakes at every red light. I was coming undone and couldn't take it anymore. We broke up in the car. On the morning of graduation. Oh, and I still needed to drive him home from the doctor. I'm sure you can guess how pleasant that car ride was. 
         So, my high school graduation was ruined. I was miserable all day and night. To add insult to injury, I learned a few weeks later that a girl I considered my close friend and become close friends with my, now, ex-boyfriend. It was nothing romantic, she just found that she liked him very much as a friend and thought that he needed her support more than I did. That whole summer was difficult; I had gone from believing I had found a soul mate to being single (eh, that wasn't so bad) and with all of my friends alienated. I felt alone and unaccomplished. 
          I began college with my head held high, though my spirits were low. I resolved to make a new life and a new start for myself. No more serial monogamy; I would date for fun and meet many new people. I didn't want a relationship. I didn't want a boyfriend. On my first day of college I dolled myself and went to my classes. During my break I purchased my books at the bookstore (an exciting endeavor in and of itself!) where I caught the eye of a young man buying used text-books outside of the store. I wooed that boy without a word for three days, waiting for him to finish his shift and go to a class where I would follow him and feign being lost. On the day that I gave up on said boy, he called me over and asked me out. Point blank. To Disneyland, where, two years later, he asked me to marry him. 
         The worst year of my life became the catalyst for the best years of the rest of my life. That boyfriend from my senior year was a serendipitous disaster.

* The CSET is a standardized test for prospective teachers in the state of California. Each test consists of several substests and there is a tests for various fields of education. I have a multiple subject credential for teaching grades k-8 in a self-contained classroom. I want to teach math in middle school. So I had to pass subtests I and II of the math test (which covers algebra, number theory, geometry, tig, probability, and statistics) to be qualified for such certification. I will hopefully be certified to teach middle school/high school math by this June.

**Names have been changed to protect the skanky.