[randomosity]

garden progress 6/9/09

2009-06-09T11:51:00.003-05:00

Last night Dad tilled up some more of the garden for me so I can finish planting the cabbage soon, and get some cucumbers and zucchini started.

We are done with all the radishes now. They started going to seed and the ones that were left weren't worth keeping, so we cleared out the front of the garden where the radishes were and I planted some flowers there. More zinnias and cosmos!

The lettuce is now in its full glory, beautiful and green and ready to eat. I had a very nice salad for lunch today. That packet of lettuce seeds was only 10 cents... and with all the lettuce it produced, wowsers. Lots of savings right there.

garden progess, 5/09/09

2009-05-10T20:22:00.005-05:00

Some of the radishes John planted before he left for New Zealand are being eaten right now! The onions are looking good, the lettuce I planted earlier is tiny, and I think the red lettuce didn't grow :( So we just have green lettuce, which is fine with me. Although I do enjoy colorful garden salads. My zinnias are also growing. I may have to fill in a few places where I got crazy trying to get rid of weeds, and accidentally yanked out a few of the little zinnia plants :(

Today I planted one row of Earliserve Bush Beans, two rows of Sugar Snap Peas, and one row of Mammoth Melting Sugar Snowpeas.

Also: four Roma tomatoes, one Yellow Pear tomato plant, and one Old German heirloom variety tomato plant.

Soon to be planted: Beefsteak tomatoes, cabbage, bell peppers, brussels sprouts (YES I ACTUALLY LIKE THEM), broccoli, sunflowers, cosmos, and more zinnias.

garden progress, 4/19/09

2009-04-19T13:35:00.005-05:00

Today I planted dahlias in the flower bed in the front yard. They are pompon dahlias in orange and a pinkish-purple color, and I can't wait to see how they turn out! I've never had dahlias before and I really hope they bloom and that I don't end up killing them or something. Today if I get more motivation I might plant some of the sunflowers.
I need to start some more of the statice seeds, not many of them came up. Also I got another nice little mini-greenhouse at Menards for $2 yesterday. score.

Yesterday was a happenin' day. I helped Doug do some gardening at his place in Fort Wayne. We weeded the three raised beds and added some sphagnum peat moss and good topsoil to the soil that was already there. We planted some asparagus, which unfortunately, can not be harvested this year... but it will be there for Ben to enjoy next year. Maybe he will share some. And we also planted some marigold seeds in one of the beds to keep the tomatoes company, when there are tomatoes out there. Gardening is going to be a new adventure for Doug and I hope he enjoys it :)

garden progress, 4/17/09

2009-04-17T11:59:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have been very productive so far this morning.
I planted a set of red onions, a set of either yellow or white onions, red lettuce, green lettuce, and zinnias.
The radishes John planted before he left are about 1/2 inch high and I have been trying to work on thinning them every time I go out to the garden.
I'm just excited that we will have garden-fresh radishes and lettuce ready, probably around my birthday!

The next few items I want to plant are peas and green beans. I need to get some system in place to protect them, because last year there were rabbits out there constantly destroying a lot of my plants.... grrrrrr....

Also I need to plant more flowers. I've got seeds for cosmos, bachelor buttons, swan river daisies, and more zinnias. I'm going to have some awesome flowers for the tables at the wedding reception!

It's such a nice day, there's so much I want to do right now. I just want to plant flowers everywhere and I have so many ideas! I'm afraid if I went to a greenhouse I'd just go crazy buying way more stuff than I need :)

latest sewing projects!

2009-04-14T20:52:00.002-05:00

i have been sewing up a storm lately!

i just made two baby dresses, one for Julianna and one for Kyla, using a pattern i got from here:
http://madebyrae.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-itty-bitty-baby-dress-pattern.html
it's a great, super easy pattern sized for small babies, and best of all it's free! i was able to make one in almost 2 hours from start to finish, and that included cutting out the pieces.

i'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

i've also been working on a vintage dress, McCalls 4480, but i'm still not exactly happy with how it's turning out so far. i've been fighting with it trying to make it not look like a maternity dress, and so far i've done about as much with it as i can. the front panel was supposed to be gathered, but instead i made it flat. i also took about 8 inches off the length. also i'm not too happy with my fabric choice... now i wish i had gotten something in a darker color, but it's too late for that.

my next project, since i have sewing ADD, is a dress from a mail-order pattern company, Marian Martin. the envelope was addressed to my great-aunt, and postmarked 1957. it's a shirtdress and the fabric i have chosen is dark blue cotton with white polka-dots.
it's a little different working with a 1950s pattern.... the pattern pieces have a series of punched out dots on them to mark the darts, where to place on the fold, and other important markings like that. i only just cut out the pieces, we'll see where it goes from here. it doesn't seem too complicated, and hopefully i will have it finished later this week.

last but not least, this is the next dress i hope to make:

i've been reading pattern reviews and lots of ladies have had positive experiences with this one. i want to make one in a nice, summery cotton print, and a more formal one in taffeta or shantung.

i really wanted to make this dress for my bridesmaids to wear, but none of them seemed to like the idea. yes, you heard me... i said i wanted to make it! i know the girls would tell me i'm insane (i've been told that already, haha!) and that i will only get myself stressed out. although we didn't choose to do that, i still would have been perfectly capable of doing so. see, i need to have projects and things to do to fill my time, otherwise my brain cells shrink and i lose my creativity. fo' reals.

i will have more sewing updates soon!

lulz.

2009-04-03T15:32:00.006-05:00

toothpastefordinner.com

quote of the day, from my dad.

2009-04-03T08:31:00.001-05:00

"I don't understand the point of wings. If I want to eat chicken, I want to eat chicken. They're too much work for so little meat."
-Dad

(he said this after i told him i did not want anyone disturbing my leftovers from b-dubs....mmmmm. but then i had to explain that they do make boneless wings these days. he still doesn't get it, lol)

where i get wedding inspiration:

2009-03-19T15:55:00.001-05:00

omgz awesome places.

Vintage Glam Weddings

iDIY Weddings

EDIT: i just stumbled across this wedding planning blog today and i think she has some awesome ideas too! especially since she is planning a wedding with a $3000 budget, for 150+ people. impressive.

http://oliveyoudeerly.blogspot.com/

accidents happen

2009-03-17T11:17:00.003-05:00

it's only noon and i have already accidentally hurt myself twice...

once, like 6:20 this morning... i got out of bed to shut off my alarm clock, then dived headfirst back into bed. bad idea. i ended up hitting a corner of my wardrobe and now i have a nice little knot on the side of my head.

then at work today i shut my thumb in a file cabinet drawer, don't know exactly how. but... OUCH! i had that thumb in my mouth for like five minutes or more. and i felt like crying, it hurt so bad.

makes me wonder how many more injuries are waiting to happen to me today.

angel food cake.

2009-03-11T08:32:00.006-05:00

Last night in a phone conversation with my aunt, I learned something new.

I learned that Grandma and Grandpa Hague had angel food cake at their wedding.

That was very interesting to me, since I, being the crazy person I am, want to try making my own wedding cakes. I want angel food cake to be one of them. And now that I know that fun little fact about my grandparents' wedding, it makes me definitely, for sure, want to include angel food cake. Plus, my aunt told me that angel food cake freezes well, which means it will be easy to store.

And here are some awesome ideas for making the cake look elegant:

http://www.smithfield.com/recipes/recipe/luscious-lemon-angel-food-cake-with-a-citrus-glaze

Laura's fantastic time-travel bratwurst experience

2009-03-06T11:43:00.004-05:00

yesterday i had a leftover bratwurst for lunch. i had cooked the brats in beer, and chopped up some onions and cooked the onions in the pan with them as well. they were slightly charred and about as perfect as i think a brat could be.

well, anyway... as i took my first bite of the brat, i was no longer sitting in a chair at the office. i was outside, in the warmth of the sun, at the county fair... or perhaps the lake... or perhaps at a baseball game. i could literally taste summer.

it was magical.

i have never had an experience like it before.

maybe it happened because i'm so sick of winter and subconsciously thinking that summer needs to happen sooner, who knows? but all i can say is WOW. that was amazing.

do you have a rug to put over that?

2009-03-04T10:24:00.002-05:00

we're going to need a cleanup in aisle... yogurt

garden 2009

2009-02-26T10:26:00.007-05:00

Here is what I have planted in my greenhouse so far:

California Wonder Bell Peppers. takes 10-21 days to germinate.

Black Beauty Eggplant. 10-20 days to germinate. I only planted 6 of these, because any time we've had eggplants in our garden in the past we never knew what to do with them, so they went to waste. Well, not completely- I usually used them in my 4-H garden exhibits. They are really quite beautiful fruits, at least I think they are. I want to try my hand at making some eggplant parmesan sometime, or my vegetarian lasagna :)

Aster (Powder Puff Mixed Colors). 10-15 days to germinate. Showy, early blooming asters boast neat, quilled petals and vibrant, rich colors. Sturdy plants bloom until frost. I just want to try out some different flowers that I've never done before. These might be good flowers for wedding bouquets, or at least the table decorations. The picture on the packet shows some really pretty pink and purple blooms.

Statice (Rainbow Mixed Colors) 14-20 days to germinate. I've never tried to grow this before, so it's totally new to me. On the seed packet it recommended starting it indoors and transplanting outdoors after danger of frost is past. Bold sprays of paper-like flower clusters in vibrant colors make Statice the most popular everlasting dried flower. Plants tolerate heat and drought. Attractive in borders, rock gardens, and arrangements.

I used to start plants for my garden like this all the time, back in elementary and middle school. It's just something I haven't done for awhile because I didn't have the time. But now I have the time and motivation and really, I'm glad to be doing it again. I am planning on having a spectacular garden this year!
If anyone needs any seeds, I will most likely have extras, just let me know, and I would be willing to share.

And just for fun, here is a picture of one of our gardens in the past, and John and a cute little kitten.

church signs

2009-02-17T08:30:00.008-05:00

i drive by quite a few churches on my way to work every morning.

sometimes churches have clever sayings on their signs.
there's one in Lagrange that says: LOVE STARTS WITH GOD. WE JUST HELP IT ALONG.
one around Wolcottville: STAND STILL & LET GOD MOVE
and another one around Wolcottville, to paraphrase cause i couldn't see it all, PRAYER SHOULD BE A FIRST RESORT, NOT THE LAST.

sometimes the signs have just something simple, but a nice little piece of truth. just something enlightening.
for example, St. Gaspar's Catholic Church in Rome City: DO EVERYTHING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
and one of the churches around Wolcottville simply has a verse on it from Psalms, i forget which one.

sometimes the signs say something about politics or local issues.
for example, one of them in Lagrange says: NO NO NO CASINO, which i can only assume is referring to the plans to build a casino in Sturgis right by the toll road.

but sometimes, they're just plain bad.
take this for example:

i have driven by it for almost two weeks now trying to figure out what it said and got frustrated trying to put the puzzle together, so i just took a picture so i could examine it later.
driving by at 55 mph it's very difficult to read, even for me, so i can't imagine it would be very effective or meaningful for someone who has worse eyesight or can't read as fast.
and that picture is rather blurry, so to spell it out, the way it reads on the sign:
2 FEED SPIRIT U
EXERCISE GOD WORD
U FEED BODYU GET
BITTER IN U HEART

.................what??
it took me a little while to even figure out what that meant.
i'm sure it was a clever little saying to whoever heard it, but it doesn't translate very well on that sign, and certainly not at 55 mph. it just feels like there's something missing.

i remember the previous saying that church had on their sign was something equally as wordy and confusing that i didn't even bother to try to decipher after a few weeks.

indiana is so deadly boring it's killing me

2009-02-16T15:55:00.003-05:00

i would do just about anything to get out of northern indiana

sturgis isn't that great of a place either.

but i really need to keep this job (to get experience) until at least September before i start looking for another one.

2009-02-11T12:04:00.001-05:00

"I hope this is the Puff Daddy version of the song, not that Sting piece of *$%^!!!"

gaaah.... this sucks!

2009-02-10T09:25:00.001-05:00

they finally blocked facebook at work.

what am i supposed to do now?

good song- you need to listen!

2009-02-05T08:24:00.005-05:00

Sorry, I can't embed the video, because the powers that be have blocked Youtube at work. But here's the link:

Pale Young Gentlemen- The Crook of My Good Arm

Just... great song. And the cello and violin are outstanding.

Also, the video was pretty well done. It's from a horror/thriller film from the 1970s, and I think it goes with the song pretty well. Kind of creepy, but awesome nonetheless.

2009-01-26T15:01:00.003-05:00

i was listening to some awesome 80's pop/electronica on Pandora radio today and found two very interesting discoveries.

#1. Listen to this. You Spin Me Round, by Dead or Alive.

and i just realized Flo Rida has a remake of this on the radio now:

#2. I heard this song, I Ran by The Seagulls:

and realized I had been hearing a rap version of it on the radio lately, by Slim Thug:

cleaning, materialism, and the future. long post.

2009-01-26T12:30:00.004-05:00

cleaning can be very therapeutic. right now i'm cleaning out my drawers and closet, getting rid of old clothes i no longer have any need for.

in doing this, i feel sort of bad, tossing some clothes that i have had since high school(!) and my early college years. some things have a history attached to them, like my burgundy zip-up sweatshirt, which i wore ALL the time in high school, but i haven't in years. it was seriously one of my favorite articles of clothing for a long time.
and a really pretty pink and burgundy striped, turtleneck sweater. i recall wearing that one a lot as well. it could be dressy, yet casual. back in high school my family didn't have a lot of money, and i remember getting this one as a special back-to-school treat from Mom. so i feel bad about getting rid of it :( however, it no longer fits me. it looked a lot better on me about seven years ago :)

other things i feel wasteful about, like a few shirts i bought once because they struck my fancy at the time and i thought, hey, maybe i'll wear this sometime! but that sometime doesn't come often enough. sorry, old shirt.
and Mom got me a sweater for Christmas one time. it's real soft, like a chenille blanket. but it's light blue and too small! as i recall, she had originally gotten a smaller size, and we returned it to get the one i have now, which still doesn't look great on me. it might look better, had it been a darker color, but it's light blue and emphasizes things i would rather not draw attention to, lol. i feel bad getting rid of that one too, because i think i wore it all of one time. :( and i really don't like being wasteful like that.
(on a side note, maybe i should hint more strongly to my mother that if she wants to buy me clothes, gift cards would be a better idea.)

this whole process is making me realize just how much.... for lack of a better word... stuff i own. ideally, i wish i could pack everything i own into my car... okay, maybe a truck. it's probably never going to happen.
i know in a few months i am going to be accumulating a lot more stuff- wedding presents, bridal shower presents. all things for a new home, which i don't have yet. and all this stuff is going to be sitting probably in John's room which he doesn't really use anymore. anyone who would see that room right now would go "holy cow, does some packrat, old-cat-lady-type live here?" and i would hate to see their reaction about six or seven months from now. when i have a ton of wedding paraphernalia and new-house-supplies sitting there. sigh.
i have a feeling it's going to take a lot of my energy just to keep organized and feel sane during this time.
don't get me wrong, i'm not stressing. i'm not really stressed. i just feel a bit 'out of my element'. because right now i'm at home, but it doesn't feel like home to me, and i'm trying my best to give it some semblance of home again.

when i try putting away my laundry and have to start a huge cleaning project because there's not enough room to put everything away, i know there's a problem and it needs to be solved.

i just want to get back to simplicity again.

2008-12-23T14:42:00.005-05:00

Over the weekend, Doug and I sat down and did our wedding budget.
I am now completely intimidated: how am I going to be able to work this out? with a $5000 budget and roughly 200 people :(

I've been looking at wedding blogs for inspiration lately and while I've seen tons of great ideas, I am still no closer to figuring out what to do.
I don't have a color scheme picked out.
I know what I want as far as a theme... well, not a theme really, but atmosphere. I'm thinking vintage, slightly rustic, garden/country, but still keeping it stylish. (Just because the wedding date is in September does not mean I am going to have fall colors or a fall theme.)
And I feel really stupid that I already put a deposit down on the reception hall, I'm second-guessing myself now :( I would really rather have the reception in a nice garden or outdoors. Or a barn. Or even my backyard.
After doing the budget, now I feel like I can't buy the dress I really want because it's too expensive.

gaaaaaahhhhh

what to do?

on another note, some of my inspiration:

I LOVE paper lanterns and intend to use them. The flowers on the tables I believe are cosmos. I will be growing my own flowers to decorate the reception hall with!

I like the ribbon look

the blue hydrangeas and blue ribbon I like, the tulle, not so much

My reception hall resembles a big gym, kind of like this. I like what they did with the ceiling. I would add some colorful paper lanterns!
My reception hall has a very high ceiling. The whole room is basically this giant white box.
Help! Help!

curse you, dairy products! or possibly just milk

2008-12-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

am i becoming lactose intolerant?

i only notice... problems (i won't go into detail)... when i drink milk. or coffee drinks that have milk in them. however, my soy latte this morning has not wreaked havoc on me. well, not yet, anyway.

i don't have such problems with cheese, ice cream, or yogurt. just milk.

lunchie munchies!

2008-11-25T12:59:00.004-05:00

Sturgis doesn't seem to have a lot to offer, restaurant-wise, other than fast food and chain restaurants.
I've been looking for other options for places to grab a quick, healthy lunch on days when i get sick of bringing in my own :)

I was driving around downtown yesterday to see what downtown had to offer and I noticed a small cafe called Boundary Waters Cafe. I googled them, just to see if they had a website, and they did: http://boundarywaterscafe.com/
After reading the menu I got excited and stopped by today for lunch.
I really enjoyed my lunch, and the cafe is pretty nice too.
It's kind of like a mix of Courthouse Coffee (atmosphere), and Centennial Station (yummy food!). The decor is a little bit outdoorsy and charming.
I got the "Jive Turkey Spinner" which was a turkey wrap, with bacon and spinach and tomatoes and cheese and red onions and ranch. And it came with those kettle chips on the side. Delicious.

Next time I come back I try some sort of drink, and perhaps the gyro they had on special.

I think I've found my favorite place in Sturgis.

camera shopping

2008-11-20T11:32:00.002-05:00

for about a year i've been wanting a DSLR. i think you know that.

and the Nikon D40 is one i have had my eye on, mainly under the influence of Tyler.

however, i have done a little research and found what i think would be a better choice than the Nikon D40.

behold, the Sony Alpha A100:

it is in the same price range as the Nikon. i can buy just the camera body (used) on ebay for $340.
i can use the Minolta lens i already have with my film SLR. my uncle Bruce, who is into photography, uses a Sony DSLR for this reason.
it's easy to find good cheap Minolta lenses and third-party lenses that will work with this camera. that's a huge plus.

i've read a lot of good reviews for this camera too.

this is the only thing i have on my Christmas list :)

funny things my dad says

2008-11-19T21:30:00.002-05:00

Dad- "I'm thinking about going over to the dark side"

me- "..."
"dark side, meaning..."

Dad- "I was looking at buying some Brown Swiss heifers"

my car is a money pit

2008-11-17T13:51:00.003-05:00

dad said "don't let anyone fool you, you'll never make money off a car."
so true.

here are some of the major repairs/maintenance (and the costs) just over the past year.

new battery: $92
alternator: $180
serpentine belt: $40
spark plug cables: $29
spark plugs: $30
two new tires: $129
tie rod and alignment: $348
oil changes: $80

total: $928

that's just the things i remember doing.
wow that's a lot of money.
my car had better last me another five years or more.

how to make the office coffee more palatable.

2008-11-17T12:35:00.002-05:00

because sometimes i think it tastes like soap >_<

#1: fun flavored coffee creamers. a lot of it. my personal favorite: pumpkin pie spice.

#2: add a liberal amount of cappuccino mix. i suppose hot chocolate mix would do the trick too. and i added a lil splash of marshmallow mocha coffee creamer. YUM.

i need to start bringing a coffee mug to work. and maybe i could set the darn thing on a hot plate to keep it from tasting yucky when it gets lukewarm.

country music

2008-11-10T16:21:00.002-05:00

i've been on a bit of a country music kick lately.

and i'm not talking about any of this new stuff they call country, i'm talking about stuff that's at least 10 years old. the kind i grew up listening to, with Garth Brooks and Reba McIntire.
well, there are a few newer songs i like, such as Three Wooden Crosses by Randy Travis, and International Harvester, and She Ain't Right. maybe i haven't listened to enough new country to know what the good songs are.

i need to find some more country music to put on my ipod, because it seems to be the only music that i don't get made fun of for listening to at work :)

anybody know of any good 90's country songs that i may have forgotten?

more wedding ideas

2008-11-08T18:42:00.004-05:00

i want to do something similar to this for tables. i've got a lot of antique blue mason jars at home :)

and yet another idea for flowers:

i'm not an animal rights activist, but it makes me angry that someone would throw away kittens in a dumpster!!!

2008-10-30T07:34:00.003-05:00

Kittens Rescued from Dumpster

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Someone put four kittens in a garbage bag and put them in a dumpster at a Fort Wayne restaurant. Thanks to some employees, the cats were rescued.

Shawna Gehring, the manager of the Hardees on East State Boulevard went to check the dumpster about two weeks ago after two customers inside the restaurant told her they heard what sounded like crying inside the trash bin.

In the dumpster Gehring found four kittens inside a garbage bag.

"I couldn't just leave them in there. I can't imagine anyone just throwing them away like that," said Gehring.

Shawna and some of her employees rescued the kittens. Then, Shawna took them home and nursed them back to health.

"They needed a little bit of fostering, a little bit of bottle feeding to get ready to move on," said Gehring.

She knew exactly what to do next. Emilie Beard, has the cats now. She volunteers at Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control and she's a regular customer at the Hardee's. But she's also co founder of H.O.P.E., an organization trying to reduce the number of animals that are euthanized.

"They need help so badly that I just cannot bear to leave an injured animal to suffer," said Beard

Emilie will keep the kittens until they are ready to be adopted.

But the buck doesn't stop there. Doug Hartle with Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control says whoever did this could face misdemeanor charges that could include fines and even jail time. Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control says this case has "special" circumstances.

"They're going to suffocate they're going to die a painful death and that is the crux of this case," said Hartle.

He's asking anyone with information about who dumped the kittens to contact Animal Care and Control.

this made me cry like a baby.

2008-10-29T23:13:00.005-05:00

it's a postcard from postsecret, and it seriously made me cry.
because i miss my grandpa so much and i wish i could hear his voice again :(

i never knew either of my grandmothers.
i just realized that my Grandma Hague died 26 years ago, on Monday. i never got to meet her.
i met her in a dream once though, it was the strangest thing. she was talking to me, and she asked me how i was doing, and said that she hadn't talked to me in a long time.
i can't help but wonder what her voice really sounded like.

home?

2008-10-24T15:27:00.005-05:00

i think, more than anything right now, i want a place where i can feel like i'm at home.
i'm sick of being in this transitional phase in my life right now, where i'm between college and being on my own.
i'm moving back home soon, but there's not even a bed for me there and i really need to clean up my room and repaint it, as it's full of childhood knick-knacks and cutesy wallpaper with flowers and bunnies that i picked out twelve years ago.

it would be nice to live in a house i can call mine, where i can have my own furniture and styles... not somebody else's.

there was the cutest house on SR120 for sale since at least August, that i noticed when i started driving by it every day on my way to work. about 15 miles from my job, a CUTE craftsman-style bungalow built in 1910, with hardwood floors, on 3.5 acres. from the pictures on the remax website, it looked like the kitchen could use a little updating and most likely fresh paint throughout the house, but that's the kind of thing i would love to do and have a lot of fun with. seriously i hoped it would stay on the market longer. yesterday when i drove by i noticed it was sold. insert sadface here.

now, it's one of my dreams to remodel an old house, but if i can't find a house worthy of remodeling, i've been investigating building one. here are a few websites with plans for "new old homes"... or houses that look like they were built a long time ago, with all the modern amenities.

http://www.thebungalowcompany.com/index.php
(has super cute bungalows!)

http://www.rosschapin.com/Plans/plans.html
(i like some of the small house plans, not so interested in the cottages)

while watching the olympics:

2008-08-22T21:53:00.002-05:00

Turner: "Run white guy run!"

RG: "They're gonna bust a cap in you!"

wedding flower inspiration.

2008-08-10T18:47:00.006-05:00

at work we've been selling a few summer flower bouquets lately. they are like $5.99 and soooooo pretty!
i just love these types of flowers and think they look so good together! i definitely want flowers like this at my wedding. and just think, these are locally grown and in season for a late summer wedding (this means AFFORDABLE!) and you could go to any farmers market at this time of year and get these types of flowers.

just look. so pretty.

sunflowers, zinnia, ageratum, and statice

sunflowers, zinnia, statice, and other stuff i forgot :)

cleome, statice, ageratum, and more stuff i don't remember what it's called.

love made visible, your skin feels incredible

2008-08-04T23:13:00.002-05:00

Delays- Love Made Visible

the video is kinda creepy. but it's not quite what you think it is :)

Yui- Rolling Star

this is an opening song from Bleach, one of my favorite shows <3

Augustana- Sweet and Low

i'm liking this american boy, american boy...

2008-06-24T19:22:00.002-05:00

here are a few hella awesome songs you need to listen to.

Estelle ft. Kanye West- American Boy

Coldplay- Viva la Vida Telemitry Remix

Sara Bareilles- Love Song

ok i couldn't resist posting an amv. by the way, the anime is called Pretear and i really like it!

dream

2008-06-12T08:21:00.003-05:00

crazy dream last night.
i was in a video game. not me, but a clone, or a body double of me. and not a real video game of course. there was this giant ball of... evil? (or something) that i was supposed to destroy and it was shooting flaming cannonballs at me, and i was blasting it with sonic waves from my mind. i didn't have any weapons. i lost the game, however, and i died.
when the game was over i had to go and pick up my skeleton and put it in the dumpster.

i did not come to work to have my intelligence insulted.

2008-06-01T14:26:00.002-05:00

i am at work, standing roughly between the giant pots of geraniums, and the calla lillies.

lady: "how much are those impatiens over there? the ones that are hanging, you know?" gestures off to the other side of the greenhouse, generally.

me: puzzled look on face, trying to figure out which impatiens she was talking about, because there aren't many impatiens over there.

lady: "do you know what impatiens are?" in a bitchy tone

me: "where are they?"

lady takes me to these strange-looking hanging baskets we call UFO's (unique flowering objects... *rolleyes)

she then tells me to get down the three pink ones so i do. when i get the first one down for her, she's all like "oh no, you're going to break it" and i'm just thinking omgwtf. i'm being careful.

afterwards she paid for her stuff and apparently she got ten bags of mulch and made Rachael load them in her truck, and she had to count out each one to make sure Rachael knew how to count to ten.

what a bitch.

endofstory.

i can see again!

2008-05-23T20:53:00.002-05:00

i tried these new contacts a few weeks ago and they were sooooo awesome.
i can actually see now and it's amazing.
also they don't start to fuse to my cornea after ten hours like the old ones did.
i can also drive at night safely, and i can see the road signs clearly. with my old contacts it was almost impossible to read road signs (at night) because the writing on them was a total blur until i was right up to the sign. also the reflections made things extra interesting.

i ordered a few boxes of these new awesome contacts, and, comparing the prescription of the new ones to the old ones, i now know why i can see so much better.

old contacts: 2clear Toric
Left: Dia 14.4 Pwr -5.00 Cyl -1.25 Axis 170
Right: Dia 14.4 Pwr -4.00 Cyl -1.25 Axis 170

new contacts: Air Optix Toric by Ciba Vision
Left: Dia 14.5 Pwr -6.00 Cyl -1.25 Axis 180
Right: Dia 14.5 Pwr -5.25 Cyl -1.25 Axis 180

dang i am blind as a bat...

surprise, surprise.

2008-05-14T17:18:00.000-05:00

haha

2008-04-20T19:00:00.002-05:00

my own redneck joke.

2008-04-08T07:13:00.002-05:00

You might be a redneck if...
your kid thinks they might have strep throat, and you offer to bring them Tribrissen from the veterinary clinic.

that happened to me, lol.
in all truth though, Dad uses Tribrissen sometimes when he gets sick and it really works. It does kill Streptococcus bacteria, although i'm not entirely convinced humans should be taking antibiotics meant for animals. But if it saves a trip to the doctor, hey, why not?

i think i'm addicted...

2008-04-01T21:38:00.008-05:00

Toothpasteford inner and Married to the Sea are just too friggin hilarious.

for example,

sick. of. this

2008-03-28T14:55:00.002-05:00

please.
i just want a place of my own right now.
that's all.

this makes me sad

2008-02-26T10:12:00.006-05:00

this stupid thing Tri-State decided to do makes me more sad- and disgusted- than any other thing they've decided to do in the past few years, besides the name change.

Behold, the once busy, bustling Centennial Station:
Now it is nothing but an empty basement with empty tables and empty chairs and vending machines in case a poor hungry soul mistakenly wanders down there looking for peace and quiet and an overpriced candy bar.

I guess Bon Appetit, the food people at TSU, closed down the lunch program at Centennial Station due to it not making enough money to suit them. Which is understandable... but just shows poor planning on their part. Everyone I know LOVED Centennial and that place was always bustling, especially during lunch hour! It was always the place to meet your friends for lunch together. And the crowd wasn't just students... I'd see professors and people from the business office and everything. And sometimes even President Brooks. for real.

I always did the meal exchange thing there. It was nice to get something different (and much better) than the cafeteria food. The breadsticks, the fresh fruit, the soups, and the daily bars were all really great. And then I'd use my flex dollars to get lattes and Jones sodas for a quick pick-me-up between classes, to keep me awake during the really boring classes :) I miss the Almond Joy and Heath bar lattes, those were my favorites.
Not only was the food great but the people were great too. The people who worked there always put a smile on my face and were fun to talk to. Also the service was great.
And the atmosphere... laid back, relaxed, music videos playing on that really nice tv they had hanging up in the corner. Which makes me think that since nobody's ever at Centennial anymore, someone could just walk right in and steal that tv and nobody would miss it. Same goes with the expensive-looking coffee-brewing machinery. No, I'm not going to steal it.

I suppose now the school intends for us all to be dying down to the cafeteria to the little express thing they have going on over there, wait five minutes for someone to notice you're standing there, and then for that person to look really annoyed that they're having to make you a drink, or tell you that they're not open yet. I don't have time for that in between classes. Plus, the atmosphere leaves a little something to be desired. Oh, wait... there is no atmosphere, it's a cafeteria! durrrr

Even though I'm living off campus and no longer have a meal plan or flex dollars, I would gladly pay for a lunch like the ones once offered at Centennial, or the lattes. Which I miss a lot. They were even better than some of those things Starbucks has to offer.

The point is, I miss this place an awful lot. There's a hole in my heart- or stomach?- especially during lunchtime, that nothing can fill as well as Centennial Station ever did.

a morning well spent :)

2008-02-25T11:42:00.003-05:00

weight

2008-02-24T20:30:00.002-05:00

a few months ago, someone asked me if i had been losing weight. i truthfully didn't notice it at the time, and because i haven't been stepping on a scale regularly, i had no idea whether or not i was. however, the last few times i have been anywhere with a scale.... home, John's apartment.... i was both shocked and amazed to see that i had indeed lost weight. not anything abnormal, but definitely that pesky ten pounds i was hoping to lose. now i'm back to my pre-college weight.
i have no idea how it could have possibly happened either. i haven't been doing a whole lot of strenuous activity besides work and walking across campus several times a day. i've been eating pretty much whatever i want, whenever i want, and making sure i get my fruits and veggies too. this blows my mind.
it seems that whenever i'm obsessing over my weight, like stepping on the scale every day and making a conscious effort to go to the gym a few times a week nothing happens. or maybe that evil cafeteria food was laced with something that caused me to gain weight abnormally :S
whatever. i'm weirded out by this but i won't complain. :)

apple.

2008-02-19T11:21:00.001-05:00

i've got this jar of applesauce in the refrigerator. it must have been in there a while longer than i thought, because it smells- and tastes- like hard cider.
wah woo wee wah!!!

some congratulations are in order

2008-02-11T20:31:00.000-05:00

wowza.

it seems that a lot of my friends are getting engaged or pregnant lately.

i don't know if any of these friends ever read my blog, but i just wanted to say congratulations! i know there are a lot of people this applies to, and i don't have the time to name all of the names, but, boy oh boy... i hope everything goes well for you!

late night quizzes/ procrastination

2008-02-08T01:25:00.000-05:00

You Are a Tuna Fish Sandwich

Some people just don't have a taste for you. You are highly unusual.

And admit it, you've developed some pretty weird habits over the years.

You may seem a bit unsavory from a distance, but anyone who gives you a chance is hooked!

Your best friend: The Club Sandwich

Your mortal enemy: The Turkey Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

You Need Some Yellow in Your Life

Yellow will make you feel happy, perky, and hyper.

And with a little yellow, you will project an aura of energy.

If you want attention, you've got to get a little yellow in your life!

For extra punch: Combine yellow with blue or orange

The downside of yellow: People associate it with sickness and deceit

The consequences of more yellow in your life:

You will have more mental clarity, especially when faced with difficult problems

You will be protected from depression and moodiness

You will be a lot less likely to burn out or feel stressed

What Color Do You Need?

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern

At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent

You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet

Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

You Are an Emo Rocker!

Expressive and deep, lyrics are really your thing.

That doesn't mean you don't rock out...

You just rock out with meaning.

For you, rock is more about connecting than grandstanding.

What Kind of Rocker Are You?

Star Wars Horoscope for Gemini

Like most Geminis, you are a playful little creature.

You tend to be extremely curious, craving knowledge but sometimes having a short attention span.

For the most part, you are charming and lovable.

But at times, you can seem scattered and high-strung.

Star wars character you are most like: Ewoks

What Is Your Star Wars Horoscope?

2008-02-01T00:57:00.001-05:00

laura will finally come out of her shell and say what's really on her mind.
i tend to suppress my words a lot, i don't like to let people know what's on my mind because i'm so insecure and i think that most people don't care about me or what i have to say.
but i guess i have to express an opinion here.
i hope this does not make me sound like a bitch.
i just want to get this off my chest.
well here goes.

it seems as if my nonchristian friends are more fun, supporting, and understanding than my christian friends. the girls especially.
if i ever want to just hang out with people, have a good time, have good conversations, go out and play in the snow at random hours of the day, watch a few episodes of Futurama, etc, it seems that i can't count on you, girls.
i'm guessing it's because you and i are different.
i wish some of you weren't so closed-minded. i wish you would lighten up a little more. i feel like i can't relate to you. i feel ignored and alienated, and anytime i talk to you, you think i'm there to entertain you and you laugh at everything i say. thanks a lot.

2008-01-30T08:08:00.000-05:00

my birthday is several months away yet, but i'm dropping a hint right here:
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63069797

2008-01-28T19:22:00.000-05:00

i'm really looking forward to owning a house of my own someday.
sure, i like brand new houses with all the bells and whistles, but somehow, they just don't compare to a nice old farmhouse with its quirks... nooks and crannies, high ceilings, some elements about old houses are just more inviting to me.
i would love to find an older house that needs a little bit of TLC... not a lot, but enough to give me a few diy projects as something to do, use my creative thinking on, and have the reward of having done something myself and made it my own.
so i've just been obsessed with reading the blogs on www.houseblogs.net lately. it's made me long so much for a house of my own.
fyi... the house in the first pic is in Butler, IN and the one below is near Woodburn (outside of Fort Wayne). both of them are currently for sale :)

i'd love to live in the country too, so i can have one of these, and plenty of room for it to run around and play frisbee with me:

and perhaps one or more of these:

2008-01-12T20:41:00.000-05:00

i realized something today:
i am not fat.

especially if i can fit comfortably into shirts and jeans at the abercrombie kids store like i was able to today.

interesting

2008-01-10T21:36:00.001-05:00

2008-01-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

butter substitutes that do not melt when placed on warm toast
scare.
me.

new year.

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

I have some goals for the year of 2008:

Be more financially organized. For the past 3 years I haven't been balancing my checkbook, budgeting, or anything like that. I've just been going online and checking my balance and deciding whether or not to buy stuff. Maybe I should be a little more careful with money, especially since I am going to be graduating and paying student loans in the future.
Keep exercising. I'm pretty happy with my level of physical fitness and my weight, which has been surprisingly well-maintained for all the sitting around and eating junk food I do. I just hope to get back to playing DDR or jogging more, which I did a lot of over the summer and it was good for me. I could run a mile or more without a problem. I hope to be able to do that more.
Get in God's word more. I don't do that enough.
Finish the sewing projects I start. I've started on some placemats I intended to have finished by Christmas for Mom, but those are still nowhere near done. And I have two shirts I'm sewing from vintage patterns that I really want to do, but I'm not going to until I finish the placemats.
General pursuit of the arts. Being creative is totally worth it! Now that there is a digital piano in the apartment, I can continue practicing the piano in case I need to play at church, or even a wedding (yes, I would do that again!). I'm planning to continue doing a lot of photography, and trying to print out my pictures so I can hang them up on the wall/scrapbook/whatever.

snow

2007-12-16T07:57:00.000-05:00

oh man, i've forgotten how much i love snow.
and sledding.
and Christmas lights.
and icicles.
and how beautiful the winter season can be.

i think i'm going to get a new winter coat to celebrate the occasion.

i need another movie night.

2007-12-14T10:21:00.001-05:00

Movies I want to see, some that I haven't seen yet, and some I want to watch again just because:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Ratatoullie
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Marie Antoinette
Hairspray
Hot Rod
Almost Famous
the new Futurama feature-length episode
The Simpsons Movie (again)
Star Wars (again)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Home Alone 1 & 2 (again, because it's Christmas time!)
The Santa Clause
Disney/Pixar movies. i'm not going to name them all, but a night of Disney movies would be fun!

ballin.

2007-12-04T09:07:00.001-05:00

I had a very interesting experience last night. I got to play on the CCH guys intramural basketball team, because they were missing a few players. We played against the Kappa Sigma Alpha sorority's team, most of which are athletes, and some of which were on the TSU womens basketball team in the past.
It was my first experience playing a basketball game and I can say it was quite a learning experience. I didn't manage to steal the ball from anyone but I came quite close! I kinda felt bad though, because my fingernails were a little bit long and I think I might have scratched the girl I was guarding. And I think I accidentally elbowed her too.
I think being short is a disadvantage to me in this game. The guys only passed the ball to me twice. TWICE during the entire time I was playing. And both times I tried to shoot I ended up missing. Oh well, it's just a game.
But I did have a lot of fun. And if anything, I got a much needed workout.
It would have been fun to get a CCH girls team together, but most of the girls I know are too busy, or 'girly', or just plain lazy, to play basketball.
hmmmm
you don't know what you're missing out on, girls!

gaaaaaaaaaaaah.

2007-11-28T08:51:00.000-05:00

honestly, i'm completely miserable living here.
i've had enough of sleeping on the couch- even the pull-out couch, however more comfy it is than the couch.
i'm sick of having to do my own grocery shopping, and cooking and washing my own dishes. (Dishwasher, please!)
and then i never get enough exercise anymore. i actually miss walking to class.

anyone sick of living in the villas? i'll trade you :)

now

2007-11-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

Toboggan season is upon me again.
My arms hurt from scraping the frost off the track.
Ouch.
By February, I'm going to have some awesome buff arms, I tell ya what.

And, for all my faithful readers, I just wanted to let you know that Pokagon will be having their first ever Toboggan Time Trials!
This will take place on December 1st, from 1 to 4 pm. Get a team of up to four people to go tobogganing, and try to go as fast as you can! Prizes will be given for fastest speed, and also for costumes/outfits if your team decides to dress up for it.
Sounds like fun :)

jeans.......

2007-11-15T22:47:00.000-05:00

i have found a pair of jeans that fits me more perfectly than any i've ever owned.

thank you American Eagle!

someone finally understands how jeans are supposed to fit.

AE Hipster Stretch Jeans

Song of the Day: Missed the Boat by Modest Mouse

2007-11-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

While we're on the subject
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ear's door but you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well we knew we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh please just last

Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Well nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a dam

Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying yes, this is a fine promotion
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell

Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
We just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least I'm pretty sure I am
Well we didn't need the water
But we just built that go god damn

Oh, and I know this of myself
I assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bliss

Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well we knew we missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
We didn't read the invite
We just dance at our wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

Tiny curtains open and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting drifting around in bubbles and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out that we had truly missed the boat

Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves

Thursday 11.08.07

2007-11-09T00:13:00.000-05:00

I think today was a fairly successful day.

It was nice not to have to take the quiz in Biochem, because I didn't know what the quiz was even about until last night! Dr Jones is the kind of guy who can talk forever about whatever topic he's lecturing on, and that happened today. In the last 5 minutes of class, someone was like, "are we going to take the quiz?" but Dr Jones decided we didn't have enough time to take it. So.... quiz will take place tomorrow!

The second thing that happened that was slightly enlightening was my interview with the housing director. I applied to be an RA, for anyone who didn't know. So I think my interview went pretty well. I remember applying last year, and the guy who was in charge didn't even give me the courtesy of an interview. How rude. He only looked through the applications and picked the people he liked best and gave them interviews. It almost broke my heart, because I was certain that I was perfect for the job.
There are three female RA positions avaliable: Cameron, Alwood, and the UC apartments. I don't know how many girls applied for these, and I guess I won't be heartbroken if I don't get the job.
I'm fairly happy living in the CCH apartment, but I just feel that my talents would be put to better use elsewhere, you know? Also I really miss the dorms and being around people.

My next hilight of the day was totally pwning the anatomy quiz. BOOYAH!!!

Last but definitely not least, the play, The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged) was quite a success for opening night. If you haven't gone yet, you MUST go! It's not your grandmother's Shakespeare play- there's a lot of audience participation, and just a lot of... interesting suprises. If you go you'll find out ;)

Well that's about all for now.

Peace out!

Laura the Clarinetist??

2007-11-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

my clarinet arrived today!! :) it's so spiffy, and awesome!

i was so excited to learn how to play it, that i even used the reed that was in the case, who cares how old and disgusting it is?

i am able to play a scale and most of the notes in low to mid range. nothing above B-flat though. i guess it's going to take quite a bit of practice before i can play that Mozart concerto i love so much!

now i will need to go to the music store and pick up some more suitable reeds. and a clarinet swab that's not so old and smelly. and perhaps a song book so i can play something besides a scale and arpeggio and hot cross buns :)

?

2007-11-02T21:31:00.001-05:00

am i one of those people that is hard to love?

random thought du jour.

2007-11-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

If I had lived in the 1960s and gone to my old high school (then known as Albion-Jefferson HS) and Tri-State College, I would have been a Trojan. At both schools.

However, if I had lived in the 1960s I probably would not have gone to Tri-State College. Judging by the yearbooks I have seen, there were very few females attending TSU. And by very few, I mean, I saw like ten in the whole yearbook (faculty & staff not included).

i'm an aspiring musician.

2007-10-30T16:11:00.000-05:00

i really enjoy being in a band again. not just pep band- we have been working on concert stuff too. Seagate Overture by James Swearingen.... Black Watch (Concert March) by Claude T. Smith.... Salvation is Created by Tschesnokoff
i know, probably songs and composers you've never heard of. we're working on Pirates of the Caribbean, Fellowship of the Ring, and Lord of the Dance as well. the first-chair high school flutist inside of me is rejoicing. and feeling a bit overwhelmed. but it's great to be back, and using my talents again.

i'm the only flute player in the band, except for Amber, whenever she shows up. being the only flutist, i feel naked at times. figuratively, of course.... because i have no one else to cover for me if i lose my place in the music or make a mistake! so that means i have to practice. a LOT. of course since i'm a flute i have the melody a lot of times and i really stand out. apparently in a few weeks we will be getting some more players from the high school to fill in the missing woodwind section of the band, which will be interesting. i hope they don't make me feel totally out of place, since they could very well be at the top of their game, and i haven't played seriously in a few years so i'm a little rusty.

anyways....

i'm also thinking about learning to play the clarinet. it's such a beautiful-sounding instrument.
Listen to this- it's what made me fall in love with the clarinet when i was younger:

Wolfgang Mozart, Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A major, K. 581 Part IV. Allegretto con variazioni

(about 1/2 way through the song is one of my favorite parts. there's a lot of good violin stuff in this song too.)

there was a sound clip of it in the Encarta encyclopedia that i would listen to over and over and wish i could hear the whole thing. and i found the whole thing on this guy's website. and lots more.

http://www.umeshshankar.com/recordings/index.html#noonconcert-f03

another song that i love that features a clarinet is When I'm Sixty-Four by The Beatles. i will learn how to play that one someday!

i'm currently searching ebay for a good quality used clarinet to buy. or if any of my loyal readers have one sitting around their home they would be willing to loan or sell to me, let me know!
thanks!

i never thought i'd say this, but....

2007-10-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

man oh man do i miss living in the dorms. or even better yet, i wish i could live in the villas. heck, i'd even take the new apartments.
i mean, the CCH girls apartment is great, but it's just not for me.

i miss having a meal plan and being able to go to the cafeteria for dinner and choosing whatever i want to eat, and not having to do the dishes! if i lived in the villa i'd still have to cook, but at least they have dishwashers.
i miss cable tv.
i miss the people. don't get me wrong, we still have people come over and visit, but it's not the same as having people spontaneously drop by like in the dorms. and boys seem to think the CCH girls apartment is off-limits or something... False. Just ring the doorbell, open the door and ask if you're allowed to come up. The only requirement is that there has to be at least 2 girls up there if a guy comes over.

I could go into some more lengthy details about why i want to, and might, try to move into the villas next semester, but now is not the right time, i must get to class.

quiz du jour.

2007-10-28T00:20:00.000-05:00

My score on The Greek Mythology Personality Test:

Nemesis

(0% Extroversion, 66% Intuition, 100% Emotiveness, 42% Perceptiveness)

You are a normally quiet person with very strong convictions and a marked activist streak. You have a clearly defined sense of right and wrong, and you like seeing people punished for their transgressions. You are Nemesis, goddess of punishment. You are a champion for the defenseless, you love poetic justice and, if karmic retribution doesn't have its say, then you'll have yours. You are astute, rarely fooled, and idealistic.

Your defining characteristic is your internal and inflexible system of morals. Because of your highly intuitive nature, you possess the theoretical nature required to define those morals, but you sometimes lack the ability to verbalize and expound on them, especially on the more nuanced parts of your worldview. Regardless, you have strong instincts which often prove to be correct, and rather than preaching, you act on them. You don't compromise -- ever.

You can sometimes be a person of great internal stress. You don't have double standards, and so you expect the same of yourself as you expect of others. You might find, sometimes, that you have just as hard of a time in living up to those expectations as the people around you. As a result, you are rarely at peace with yourself, but you're also likely to think of this in a positive light -- you're always forcing yourself to improve, and you avoid making mistakes.

You tend to be a private person, and don't like to talk much about those staunch morals of yours until, that is, they become violated. Once that happens, everyone is going to know exactly where you stand. You have a distaste of nihilism and intellectual relativism that will make you naturally compatible with scientists and certain kinds of philosophers, even if they don't share your activist streak.

Famous People like you: Goethe, Voltaire, Susan B. Anthony, Robert Burns
Similar Personality Types: Prometheus, The Oracle, Hermes, Orpheus
Avoid: Icarus, Dionysus, Agamemnon, Atlas
You may or may not be able to get along with an Odysseus -- it will depend on his/her upbringing.

Link: The Greek Mythology Personality Test
(OkCupid Free Online Dating)

Food & Drink: A different kind of cider.

2007-10-26T19:07:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to B-Dubs with Doug and some awesome friends to celebrate Doug's 23rd birthday. Happy Birthday Doug!!!

I usually don't drink, and I am definitely not a beer drinker (more of a girly-drink drinker: Smirnoff Ice, etc) but B-Dubs has quite a large selection of beers on the drink menu. So I decided to be adventurous and get a Woodchuck Cider.

And it was MUCH better than I expected!
I think it's like a cross between the apple cider we all know and love, and champagne. It's not like anything I've ever had really, because the texture reminds me of beer or ale or something, and the flavor isn't excessively bitter; it still has that hint of real apple flavor, not like you're sucking down a Jolly Rancher or anything.
Also, the ingredients and nutritional information is all on the label. 200 calories, and it's made pretty much all out of real apple juice.
I went to the grocery store and saw a few more flavors I'd like to try: the Granny Smith, and Raspberry. The Woodchuck website says there's pear cider too, and that makes me wish I knew where to find it. Maybe I'll try to make some of my own sometime.

Definitely a beverage I enjoyed and will drink again.

Also the food at B-Dubs is super awesome. The Asian Zing sauce is one of my favorites, and Caribbean Jerk is great as well. I got tears in my eyes because of it, and it's not even the spiciest. After a few more bites I was able to enjoy the flavor a bit better.

Yeah. B-Dubs pretty much rocks.

wondering.

2007-10-24T09:44:00.001-05:00

sometimes i wonder if there is anyone in the world who would call me their best friend.

or am i just one of those people who is meant to live life as a loner?
ok maybe i'm not a loner, because i have a wonderful amazing boyfriend and lots of friends. but who among them is my best friend?
it seems as though i don't fit in anywhere among them. i'm that puzzle piece that is left over when you're done putting the puzzle together, that somehow got put in the wrong box. ok sorry for the cheesy analogy, it just felt like it belonged there.
why am i so different?

A wonderful piece of God's Creation....

2007-10-24T09:19:00.001-05:00

IMG_3692
Originally uploaded by Laura Lovegood

Lake Ann Camp, Michigan

and it was a beautiful weekend for the fall retreat.

Rant of the Day 10.23.07

2007-10-23T08:26:00.000-05:00

It seems that I feel like I am constantly having to explain myself to other people.
Nobody can understand what I say, the first time I say it. And everyone always has to ask me what I'm doing or why I'm doing whatever it is that I'm doing.

WHAT THE HELL????

Sheesh.... can't you listen the first time I tell you something, or just keep your stupid questions to yourself!

Last Night's Dream.

2007-10-17T07:12:00.000-05:00

I had a slightly bizarre dream last night.
I dreamed that Robyn and I were cleaning a room in the apartment that I'd never seen before, and was hardly ever used. It looked like an attic or something. She found two spiders- no, TARANTULAS and I put them in a plastic container because I wanted to take them to biology class. These tarantulas were huge and they were fighting each other.
As I was doing more cleaning I found a great big bullfrog.
And then I found a cat.
Then we were done with the cleaning and I went to get the tarantulas and they had escaped!

Pep Band....

2007-10-14T18:12:00.000-05:00

Do people really like the pep band?

Or are they secretly annoyed by us, thinking the game would be just as good without all that annoying music?

People say "Oh, you guys sound great!" but are they secretly feeling sorry for us because they think we're losers or band geeks or something?

The world may never know.

Song.

2007-10-13T17:09:00.001-05:00

I really like this song. It's called Girl Next Door, by Saving Jane. Sometimes I think this song was written about me.... *sigh*

Small town homecoming queen
She's the star in this scene
There's no way to deny she's lovely
Perfect skin, perfect hair
Perfumed hearts everywhere
Tell myself that inside she's ugly
Maybe I'm just jealous
I can't help but hate her
Secretly I wonder if my boyfriend wants to date her

She is the prom queen I'm in the marching band
She is a cheerleader I'm sitting in the stands
She gets the top bunk I'm sleeping on the floor
She's Miss America and I'm just the girl next door

Senior class president
She must be heaven sent
She was never the last one standing
A backseat debutante
Everything that you want
Never to harsh or too demanding
Maybe I'll admit it
I'm a little bitter
Everybody loves her but I just wanna hit her

She is the prom queen I'm in the marching band
She is a cheerleader I'm sitting in the stands
She gets the top bunk I'm sleeping on the floor
She's Miss America and I'm just the girl next door
Oh and I'm just the girl next door

I don't know why I'm feeling sorry for myself
I spend all my time wishing that I was someone else

She is the prom queen I'm in the marching band
She is a cheerleader I'm sitting in the stands
I get a little bit, she gets a little more
She's Miss America and... she's Miss America
I'm just the girl next door...

Peanut Butter.

2007-10-12T09:39:00.001-05:00

My roommates seem to have this obsession with peanut butter.
Peanut butter on toast. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. There's probably more that I haven't caught on to yet.
Not just my roommates, but there are some other people I know who love it and can't live without it.
And yet I seem to be the only person I know who doesn't have some particular obsession with peanut butter. I can't imagine putting it on toast, because I'm more of a cinnamon-and-sugar girl myself. PB&J just doesn't seem to cut it for me either. I'd rather eat something more substantial. I remember my dad's peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches and thinking those were the nastiest things ever when I was a kid.
I've heard that peanut butter is one of those foods that is supposed to evoke your inner child, or some psychobabble like that. It's somehow connected with childhood.
Well, not mine. PB&J was not the food of my childhood. I think the food of my childhood was bologna sandwiches or overcooked steak. And I'm not too fond of either.

That being said, I'm not anti-peanut butter or anything. Just neutral to it. It's not disgusting to me, nor is it my favorite.
I do have a favorite type of peanut butter though, and it's Amish peanut butter. The kind with the marshmallow spread and lots of sugar and it can't be entirely healthy for you. But it's sooooo delicious.
And Jif Peanut Butter with Honey. I was actually looking for it when I went grocery shopping this week, and failed at finding it. Maybe it's been discontinued or something? Hmmm....

I'm hungry now.

Palm Trees and Cocoa Beans.

2007-10-11T09:58:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to think I must be the only person at TSU who actually likes the palm trees.
For anyone who has no clue what I'm talking about, the new Student Center now has giant potted palm trees lining the corridor. I think they are a good choice because the corridor is about two stories high and has huge glass windows from the floor to the ceiling, and the whole building was just so plain and needed foliage. These trees reach to at least the 2nd floor, and when you're in the library you can look out and see the treetops. I really can't think of a tree that would look better in the Student Center.
Plus I love the cocoa-bean-shell mulch they used in the pots. Whenever you walk by it smells like chocolate! It pretty much makes my day every time I walk by the palm trees and smell the chocolate.
I know a lot of people have been complaining about the trees, saying things like Palm trees? They don't fit in here. TSU is about as far away as you can get from tropical! and The cocoa bean much smells gross.
Well that's too bad you feel that way. Maybe in time you will get to love the palm trees and the cocoa bean mulch.
I really should take some pictures to put on here for non-TSU-readers (if there are any who actually read this).

But I must say, I don't care much for the weird modern nude-ish statues around the building. They're just too bizarre for me.

ouch my poor muscles :(

2007-09-26T15:26:00.001-05:00

on friday night playing Capture the Flag i didn't stretch or anything before doing all that running, so my legs definitely paid for it. they're still a little sore today.

this morning, i was running up the hill to class, like i always do, and i pulled a muscle in my leg. ouchy. i don't think i've ever pulled a muscle before, and it is the devil.

lesson learned: always always always stretch and warm up before beginning intense physical activities!!!

2007-09-23T16:32:00.000-05:00

Leaves are falling all around,
It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged
For such a pleasant stay.

But now its time for me to go,
The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain,
And with it pain,
And it's headed my way.
Ah, sometimes I grow so tired,
But I know Ive got one thing I got to do,

Ramble on,
And now's the time, the time is now
To sing my song.
I'm goin round the world,
I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, ramble on,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.

-Led Zeppelin

2007-09-21T13:46:00.000-05:00

aaaaugh Anatomy class is going to kick my ass this semester.
having thousands of terms thrown at us to memorize, everything all at once

when will my poor little brain have time to digest it all?

i got 39% on the first test. apparently the whole class did terrible and we all got to retake the test for a better grade. 61% on the second one. ouch.
why does this class suck so much? i don't remember it being nearly as awful in high school :(

Anyone have a time machine I can borrow?

2007-09-17T09:01:00.000-05:00

I wish I had a time machine so I could see this Led Zeppelin concert live:

... or just any Led Zeppelin concert from back in the day. The one in the video was in 1969.

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.. mmmmmmmm oh my

2007-09-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

It seems that, as a photographer, you have to have a big camera to get any respect.

A few weeks ago I went to one of my favorite nature preserves with some of my friends. We were talking to the caretaker, and my friend (who has a bigger camera than I) started showing him some pictures. My friend was asked to set up a photography booth at some festival thing at the nature preserve.
Now, I don't have anything against my friend, or the pictures, which were pretty sweet, but.... I can't help but wish that I had a big fancy camera with me, and maybe the caretaker would have been interested in my pictures too.

When I went to Chicago with Doug, he accused me of being too 'touristy' in my photo-taking; unfortunately he didn't realize that the time of day and the very few cars and people on the streets made for great shots. I've been looking for the perfect Chicago street scene for awhile because I want one to print out and hang on my wall.
He told me that I looked like a tourist with my little camera and nobody would think I was a real photographer unless I had a tripod and a SLR. pssssh

(not quite perfect, but it'll do)

I want to utilize my talents as a photographer, and get my name out there somehow. Possibly start my own business someday.

My Canon Powershot A540 does a pretty good job as a point and shoot camera, and can do so much more than a lot of other point-and-shoots. Full manual mode, hello? And I know how to use it too.

Even though I love digital photography, I think I'll go back to using film. I'll start using my big old clunky Minolta Maxxum 7000 just to let you know I'm serious about being a photographer too. Outta my way.

LOST: Statistics Book

2007-09-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

Last Seen: Thursday Sept 6, 1:50 pm

Where: Best Hall Room 205

I accidentally left it under my desk in class and forgot it because I guess I was so excited about going to Anatomy lab.
It wasn't until later in the evening when I was ready to do my homework that I noticed the book was missing. I ran back to the room where I left the book, but it was locked, nothing I could do. Also, the book wasn't there.

So yesterday I talked to my professor, who was in charge of the math help session held in that same room directly after statistics class, and she said that she didn't see any books sitting under a desk. :(
It's most likely that someone swiped the book and is going to sell it back to the bookstore to get some cash. (I've told the bookstore about my situation and they will be looking out for it)

The thing that pisses me off the most about the book being missing is that I paid $150 for the freaking thing. It was custom-made for Tri-State University, it even says Tri-State on the cover. I had to buy it brand new.
And I can't do my homework or current project (due Thursday) without it.

I know whoever has the book is unlikely to be reading this right now, but if you are, i hope you have the kindness in your heart to do the right thing: turn the book in. I really need it back.
Thanks.

2007-08-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

so i bought this poster about a month ago.

it's the artwork for The Postal Service's singles 'We Will Become Silhouettes' (on one side) and 'Such Great Heights' and 'District Sleeps Alone Tonight' on the other. artwork is by kozyndan.

i love it but i really want to find a frame so i can put it up on my wall!!

problem: the poster is 17"x25" and i can't seem to find a frame to fit it.

does anyone know where i could find a frame in that size, or something close, that's not too expensive??

haha!! i <3 the office!!!!

2007-08-28T20:10:00.000-05:00

Dwight: "I know what you’re thinking. Won’t that just shed more light on the penises. But that is a risk we have to take. Pam, you can draw, kind of, why don’t you work with Phallus on drawing a picture of the exposer that I can post around the community."

Pam: "Phallus?"

Dwight: "Phyllis, sorry. I’ve got penises on the brain."

2007-08-26T19:35:00.001-05:00

Let's say you are about to make an appearance in public, or a place where a group of people will be looking at you.
Which would be more embarrassing: If you walked out with your fly undone, or have spilled a glass of water and look as if you had peed your pants?
Hmm....

hmmm

2007-08-23T14:08:00.001-05:00

So my dad has a cell phone now...
What's next, facebook?

Old World Manicotti

2007-08-11T19:08:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
12 large manicotti shells
4 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
6 tsp chopped fresh basil or 2 T dried basil
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup parmesan or romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 13X9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook pasta, drain, rinse in cold water, and let it dry on paper towels.
Carefully fill the pasta with a filling of 3 cups mozzarella, all of the ricotta cheese, and the basil.
Spoon 2 cups of sauce in the baking dish and arrange the pasta over the sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta.
Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan or romano cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.
Enjoy!

Questions.....

2007-08-11T15:38:00.000-05:00

is it time for me to get a new computer?

and the better question is, should the new computer be a MacBook?

i think i've fallen in love with the MacBook

and i've already picked out a name for mine when i get it

its name shall be Macaroni

2007-08-05T21:15:00.000-05:00

I've got EIGHT DAYS of work left. wow. summer is disappearing so fast!

Thirteen days til Laura Verrill's wedding. Am I going to be ready to play the piano? I hope so! My parents think my piano playing sounds really good, but then they say that almost any time I touch the piano. I had a crazy dream last night that I went to Laura's wedding but forgot to take my music, and it was a disaster. Let's just hope nothing like that happens!

On a related note, I was song leader at VBS last week, it was pretty fun. I took home my song leader book, and in the back there's sheet music for all of the songs we sang. One of our songs was You Are My All in All, and I've pretty much learned how to play it now. It sounds really pretty and I want to play it sometime for CCH. Or at church or something.

Also, I'm getting really good at Dance Dance Revolution. I've got DDR Supernova for PS2, and I can pass most of the songs on Difficult :)
Mom and Dad probably didn't enjoy hearing my 'stomping around' upstairs when I was playing. At least that's what it sounded like to them.

Ok I'm done, peace out

2007-07-18T18:51:00.000-05:00

do you ever have something that strikes you as funny... no, completely hilarious.... and you just can't stop laughing or thinking about it, and you just want to think about it and laugh... and other people are thinking you're really weird and have some kind of laughing problem....

it happens to me way too often.
i just like to laugh, i can't help it :)

Rant of the Day: 07.13.07

2007-07-13T18:50:00.000-05:00

Why are people in such a hurry all the damn time?!
Today while I was at work, driving on Dupont Road, I was minding my own business, driving the speed limit, being a perfectly safe driver. Somebody behind me must have been in a big hurry, maybe their house was on fire, who knows. They got into the right turn only lane and PASSED me on the right! Their risky maneuver didn't accomplish much: there was still a long line of traffic ahead of me. People driving in Fort Wayne have to be about the most impatient people I know.
It's a little bit difficult to do a job like I have, looking for specific addresses on unfamiliar roads, with cars expecting me to drive crazy fast on roads unsuitable for the speeds at which they insist on driving.
Gump Road, anyone? Cedar Canyons Road, Auburn, Union Chapel, Diebold... pretty much everything around there. Coldwater (way up north) can be pretty bad, and it can be really tough to turn onto Coldwater from Cedar Canyons Road: visibility is very limited and people drive FAST! Even a few roads on the south side of Ft. Wayne are bad, like Hessen Cassel, and McMillen. McMillen is too narrow for my big truck. I think that road should have one lane on each side, not two!
For one, some of those roads are pretty narrow, and it feels to me like my truck is as wide as can be. It's a Ford F150. I've got a mosquito sprayer sitting in my truck bed, covered with a tarp. It really obstructs my view, and I can't see ANYTHING in my rearview mirror. Thank God for side mirrors and those little blind spot mirrors!
Also, I hate how on some roads the speed limit is 40 or 45, and people want to drive 60. There are a lot of deer in that area too.
Two days ago, I was admiring a very realistic deer statue in somebody's yard near the road. It was probably the best deer statue I'd seen, and then I noticed that it moved! If I'd had the wrong timing going through there.... well, I'd hate to think what would have happened.
All I know is that people really need to be careful. Sometimes I wish we all drive horses and buggies.... well, maybe my job would be a little safer if everyone else was driving horses and buggies. Whatever, people. Just slow down, I want to come home alive!

Laura Needs Fashion Advice!!!

2007-07-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

I bought this skirt at The Gap a few months ago, because it was so awesomely cute!! Now it's just been sitting in my closet because I don't know what to wear it with, not to mention I don't have any occasion to wear it either :(
Here's the skirt:

I was thinking of wearing it to Laura's wedding though, that's coming up in August. The only problem now would be finding a shirt to wear with it. I'm looking for something that's a little bit classy.
Maybe this? (not necessarily in lavender... black, perhaps?)
The blouse in question...

Somebody needs to ANSWER my question! Comments please, folks!!! (Please don't tell me that Doug is the only one who reads my blog... if he is that makes me very sad)

Questions:

2007-07-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

1) Am I a bad friend?

2) Is there anything I need to improve on as a person?

I just feel so left out lately, I'm not sure if it's my fault or if I'm just... ignorable?

:(

Products of Boredom...

2007-07-03T16:09:00.000-05:00

You Are Upper Class

Class isn't always about money, and you've at least got the brains, manners, and interests of an upper class person.

You don't have a trashy bone in your body, and you don't pretend to be someone you're not.

You're comfortable with your station in life, and class issues don't really bother you.

The finest things in life are within your reach, and you're comfortable enjoying them.

You may end up: A business leader, corporate lawyer, or philanthropist

Other people who share your class: Bill Gates, Oprah, former world leaders like Bill Clinton, and those reclusive billionaires no one ever talks about.

What Class Are You?

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% Austin

60% San Diego

60% Seattle

55% Denver

55% Honolulu

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

You Are a Smart American

You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed.

Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be.

Are You a Dumb American?

Your 80s Hunk Is

Michael J. Fox

Who's Your 80s Hunk?

Your Cell Phone Etiquette is 27% Bad, 73% Good

Your cell phone manners are quite good. Not perfect, but almost.

Occasionally, you do annoy people with your cell. But when you realize it, you stop.

How's Your Cell Phone Etiquette?

You Are: 50% Dog, 50% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog.

You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful.

And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

2007-06-30T07:43:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much latey, for those of you out there who ever read this blog (Doug is pretty much the only one, I think... maybe I have a random stalker out there as well? who knows)

I have been enjoying killing mosquitoes :) My job is alright. At first I had been assigned to work in a shady part of town, but now that I am finished with that, I have been moved to a much nicer area. It is much less scary to work in Perry township.
I've been kind of lazy lately... back in May I had been running from my house to the end of the road and back, approximately 1.6 miles. I'm not going for any great times or anything, just endurance. It takes me about 16 minutes to run that. Well, it did in May. I had gotten to where I could run to the end of the road and back without stopping to take a break. I did this about every other day. Then somehow I got lazy for a few weeks in June. I tried running my usual a few days ago, but it was so hot and humid out that it took me probably 25 minutes. I had to stop and walk several times. Last night wasn't so bad though because it wasn't nearly as hot outside.
I got some great pictures of the sunset last night, it was beautiful. This one was taken under the bridge by my house. I was standing on the railroad tracks when some people drove over the bridge and I think they saw me because they stopped on the bridge, probably wondering what the heck I was doing on the railroad tracks and thinking that I was going to get myself killed or something. lol. I was just taking great pictures :)

2007-06-29T17:04:00.000-05:00

Here I am sitting at home on a Friday night like a pathetic loser.
I have two old people and a brother to keep me company.
How exciting.

Somebody please help me become less of a pathetic loser tonight, please??