Bologna

I'm Sailing Away

2009-08-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have a new roommate! Her name: Rachel. She works for Toyota (pretty cool). Anyway. Sometimes, I hang out with her and her Toyota coworkers. What do we do? Let me show you!

I have already introduced you to Ryan (the one that made panini's at the tailgating event). Let me introduce you to Ryan's sailboat! She doesn't have a name and I didn't really stand back and get a good picture of it but here are some others that I did take...

I don't know the point of this picture...

This is how far out we got before the motor fell off the block it was screwed on to... don't worry, someone was hanging on to it so we salvaged it and continued our journey out... but it was a little stressful. You can see the launch in the background...

This will soon be my new Facebook picture I think. (Note: Matt bought the sunglasses... thanks, Matt... I forgot my other ones... again).

The view:

We set anchor and went swimming:

The people:
This one is Katie, Ian's fiance (Ian works with Rachel)...

And this one is Ian...

Ahhh... what a good way to spend a Saturday.

Time Flies.

2009-08-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

I grew up too damn fast.

(That was my original one line post. After hearing the disappointment in Traci's voice, I decided I better update everyone on what's going on out here in big ol' California.)

Most importantly, I should update everyone on my job status (since you probably won't weed through all of this anyway). I've been hired full time by Alcoa. Yay! I'm not an intern anymore. (This is why I grew up too fast. I'm not used to doing all these grown up things quite yet.)

So now what I've been up to...

July has been a crazy month. I've been everywhere whether it's Michigan to be in a wedding, or Cleveland for training, moving into a new apartment, hosting Matt's visit, and working three weeks in Newbury Park (a new aquistion to Alcoa Fastening Systems... I'm helping prep for an audit). Here goes everything:

Work is well. I was just getting used to when...

BAM!

July 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th:
I first flew into Chicago, where I rented a car, drove an hour West to pick up the boyfriend, and then made the long haul up North to the old hometown where my long lost best friend got married. To me it was literally this: Jump out of the rental car, tell my mom hi and life is good, put a dress on, watch the wedding, get Matt back to Illinois so I can catch my flight out of Chicago.

I spent the next three days in our Fullerton Alcoa Fastening Systems plant attending a HAZWOPER training. (That's HAZardous Waste OPerations and Emergency Response).

Thursday and Friday are important days to remember - I worked in my plant in Torrance those two days.

Still with me?...

Sunday, the 19th through Friday, the 24th I was in Cleveland. All of the college graduates/interns met for a week-long training with some big names in the company. It. Was. AWESOME.

It's going to get tougher to follow...

So, that same Friday, the 24th, I'm flying from Cleveland to LA, while Matt is also flying from Chicago to LA where we will meet.

Saturday we move into my new apartment. We make a run to the beach while we can (the poor kid, it was the only chance we had to go... )

Sunday we drive. Up North to Newbury Park where I've been working. They put us up in a hotel and bought us some food.

Last weekend, we're on August 1st now, we got to go to a Journey concert. Lawn seats (wooo!). Easily the best date I've ever been on. It was an all day kind of date, too. We had to leave to start driving around noon to get to the amphitheater on time. Night Ranger opened, it was so cheesy. A drunk lady sitting on the lawn in front of us was so into the music she kept rocking back and hitting her head on our feet... dumb woman...

So finally, the past week. I dropped Matt off at the airport Wednesday.

I'll be finally spending time in my new apartment on Saturday and will try to get some pictures.

I'm still alive.
Hope this is better than the one-liner.

P.S.
Remember those two days in Torrance? I haven't been there since. In the past month, I've barely worked two days in my own plant... =(

I have to go now. It's time for bed. I volunteered to work on a Saturday because someone said something like, "I guess interns don't work on Saturday's." I'm not about to let that one slide.

A True Bonding Moment...

2009-07-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

... Between a girl and her car. Observe:

Nothing brings a girl and her car together like a nice, old fashioned, wash.

I think my Mazda is a girl. I'm going to name her. Any ideas? Here is what I know about her so far:

She:
1. Is beautiful
2. Has style
3. Is graceful
4. Is powerful
5. Likes to show off
6. Is talented
7. Is sensible
8. Has class

I think I'm going to stop the list at 8. I could go on but you can get an idea of her personality by those 8.

Here are some ideas:
1. Dorothy
2. Evelyn
3. Helena
4. Aideen
5. Lesley

Let me know:
a) Your favorite
b) Different names you might think of

'Cause it's root, root, root for the (away) team!...

2009-06-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

What did I do for Fathers' Day? Angels vs. Dodgers game!!!!! Here are the pics:

We tailgated. You would think we had burgers and hot dogs but nooo, paninis. This guy, Ryan, got a lot of crap for this but they were very good.

Pesto:

Roasted red bell peppers:

REAL mozzarella cheese + caramelized onions:

Ciabatta bread:

One darn good sandwich:

Angels' Stadium:

What happens if you jump onto the field? Jail, prosecution (something I couldn't hear) and you get tackled:

Ahhh... a good night. I took a crappy picture of the sunset over Anaheim. We stayed for a little while and grilled turkey burgers in the parking lot before driving home.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOOD. (Two for One)

2009-06-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

What's on the menu today? Well, for starters, I think I should discuss last week's menu. FINALLY! The salsa. And the corn and black bean quesadillas. And the something new I made today. Get ready. Here it goes.

MANGO BLACK BEAN SALSA:

Mangos +

Black Beans =

Some Good Salsa.

I messed up quite a bit. I forgot to cook the beans after soaking them so I had to pick through a mess of mango and onion to get the beans out. Then hours later I finally went to finish my masterpiece and accidentally used parsley instead of cilantro. BUT! It still turned out very yummy. Now, what to eat it with?

BLACK BEAN & CORN QUESADILLAS:

This would have been my throwdown meal, by the way...

What does it look like when a quesadilla is cooked to perfection? Let me show you...

And with a side of:

(Salsa)

So now, my grand finale, today's meal, with the help of dad while I was at the grocery store...

TOMATO SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE:

Grilled cheese made with San Fransisco style sourdough bread and muenster cheese. Homemade tomato soup with all kinds of deliciousness...

Prepare yourself for the majesty that lies ahead.

'Cast of Characters'

I should have chopped the carrots up smaller but:

Our kitchen saw all kinds of excitement today. I actually had to be really careful in all of these pictures. I was constantly moving food around trying to capture just the tomato soup stuff. But I breaked to get this one:

(Dan and Anna, the roommates)

Well, the soup will be ready soon. Time to start the good stuff.

I know you're wondering how it turned out. Best. Soup. Of. My. LIFE.

Ahhh. Nothing like a full stomach. Coming soon: Spinach Fettuccine Primavera and Sloppy Joes II.

(If you guys want recipes, just ask, I can find them)

The. End.

Stupid Facebook...

2009-05-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

My computer is fighting with facebook and I'm boycotting facebook until they get their issues resolved. So if I'm not updating there, that would be why. For now, here is the link to the salsa recipe I chose:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/danny-boome/black-bean-and-mango-salsa-recipe/index.html

Sorry for any inconvenience

=)

Beach, Beer, Man and His Dog...

2009-05-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

We rode bikes down to the beach today. There are three beaches (in order from South to North): Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. We live in Redondo (which is the least cool of the three). Hermosa Beach is known as a 'party town' (which is where we rode bikes to yesterday). Finally, Manhattan Beach is the nicer of the three and usually has better waves for surfing.

Since it's memorial day weekend there were a lot of fun tents and activities set up on the pier. There were people selling art, people selling clothes, people selling Cutco knives, people selling food, rides... And then there were people... tons and TONS of people. Here's one of my favorites (and his dog).

We also had some really good food. We bought some good walnut, chocolate chip, butterscotch cookies, some guacamole nachos (best guacamole I've ever had!! I guess it's all in the avacado), we sampled some weird kind of popcorn that was delicious, had the biggest most tasty shrimp I've ever had, a plate of nachos and a few beers.

Here are the cajun shrimp (you could have about 4 and be full):

Something about the sunshine made me want a nice, light summery beer. So we set out in search of a beer. We walked about 50 ft. and came across a "Beer and Wine Garden". How perfect.

Finally, we wound down in a sports bar, Sharkeez. This is where we had the nachos, a mint mojito and jello 'shots'.

Who would have ever thought to put your jello shot in a syringe?! That was so cool.

Well. Today looks like a normal day. I think we're all just going to wind down and enjoy our third day off. Happy Memorial Day!

P.S.
I have my car and have been driving it! Boy. What a fun little car...

Lessons to be Learned.

2009-05-20T19:08:00.001-07:00

Lesson 1: How to Surf

Lesson 2: How to drive a manual transmission.

Why?

Because soon I'll be driving this:

Why?

Because I read this ConsumerReports magazine from 'a certain person who shall go unnamed' and learned:

The Mazda3 is one of their best used cars under $20,000 at $17140
Mazda scored 4th to Honda, Subaru and Toyota in their Automaker Reports with a recommendation of 86% of the tested vehicles (Mercedes was the next lowest at 67%)
The Mazda3 scored a 78 on its overall road-test score with high predicted reliability
It gets 30 mpg
Handling is precise and responsive
Curtain airbags
It scored great in accident avoidance
It ended up in my price range for 'models to look for'
It made its way on to the list of 'best of the best - small cars' in most reliable used cars to buy
Scored much better than average in 'reliability' in all but electrical, brakes, audio system and power equipment

So... Thanks for the magazine! (Even though I'm sure that certain unnamed person wouldn't approve of this car)...

Sand, Sunshine, Twilight...

2009-05-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Twilight:

It was good. The first book was captivating. I hated a majority of the second book. I liked a lot of the last book the same way as the first. I think I was drawn to the happy moments. The sad ones just kind of bummed me out. As far as the character, Bella, I didn't approve. Not necessarily because she was whiny, but because she was quick-tempered and stubborn. In my opinion, I would have never been friends with her (she seemed very annoying). I can't imagine why the 'perfect' boy would fall for someone so less than ordinary. Which brings me to another peeve I had, I didn't appreciate Bella's lack of confidence/self-esteem. She isn't a very good role model. Overall, the books were entertaining at least. I found myself annoyed at times but I still was able to read through them (and found myself wanting to read more). I wasn't attached to the characters at the end like I thought I'd be though. Many times I cry at the end of books only because it's the end of the character. Sometimes a book is just as bad as a funeral to me. But these ones weren't emotional to let go of.

California!:

I love my job! More to come on that subject later.

I had my first lesson in surfing today and came back with some of these:

I know you can't see the one on my leg very well but I have a feeling it'll get worse. I have a lot going on but hopefully I can get more pictures soon. I'm supposed to be going hiking later today and I'll take my camera along. Last Tuesday I went to the Angels vs. Red Sox game in Anaheim and had a BLAST. We had excellent seats right behind home plate and everything was free (the guy who gave us the tickets treated us).

I hope you all are ready... I have a lot to say about a lot that's out here.
=)

I Have a Package...

2009-04-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I can't wait until I'm done with exams tomorrow. Goodbye sleep, hello books.

=D

BEST EMAIL EVER!!

2009-04-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today, I was casually checking my email when I came across two from our former ASSE student chapter president with a subject titled "Louisville Pics Part 1" and "Louisville Pics Part 2." Check out what I found:

Pictures of Matt and I meeting! That's right. This is the moment at the bowling alley in which Matt started up a conversation.

How lucky am I to have these pictures?

Random

2009-03-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

For those who know, and those who do not, I recently spilled an entire glass of orange juice on my keyboard. In a conversation I had with John, he mentioned I should use a sippy cup. Since I am broke, I replied by saying, "If you buy it, I'll use it."

Well...

In other news, I've started selling my stuff today. I posted my pride and joy on Ebay. This fridge has been with me for a few years now. I got it cheap from a guy in New Jersey on Craigslist. It has treated me well but alas, it is time to let go... *tears*

*Edit*
Fridge is sold =(

Sunshine Treats a Person Well

2009-03-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here it is... the long awaited California post. My trip was too short but still amazing.

Day 1: Sunday
I woke up at 3:30am to get on my 5:40am flight. I bartered two cans of ravioli and a can opener for a ride to the airport. The flight went well, I rode a puddle jumper all the way to Dallas where I had a slight layover. From there I flew to LAX, no big deal. I left the airport in search of a taxi; my first time ever taking one. As we drove, the meter climbed quickly landing on $34, yikes! At least I was at my hotel and in one piece. Then the trouble started. (I knew the flight went too well). When I tried checking into my room, it hadn't been paid for yet. A two night stay was asking $300 from me. So I tried doing what I do best; I called dad for money. Long story short, the hotel can't take cards over the phone, I couldn't reach my boss and I ended up paying for the first night and getting it settled in the morning.

Since I was so broke from paying for the room... someone special did me the biggest favor ever. The Boy actually got his roommate to drive him to Pizza Hut where he could buy a gift card he would later use to order me pizza online. You have to appreciate how well this was thought out. You see, he couldn't just call and use his card, no way. When they deliver it they sometimes need to see the card and I wouldn't have had one. Fool proof. He ordered way too much, I'm pretty sure they thought they were delivering to a party because she gave me 6 or 7 plates.

Day 2: Monday
After settling the room ordeal, I headed out in my business casual outfit to see my future workplace. The plant was surprisingly small. I've heard the stories about how it is one of the most productive plants in operation and how everyone is always crammed with too much work so I expected a place that was... well, bigger than anything I could imagine. Like I said, it was small. A short walk from one end to the other includes offices, lines and a waste water treatment facility they have on site (probably the coolest thing I saw). I met and was interviewed by more people than I can remember (something like 6). After lunch, Jeff sent me to his place to meet his wife so she could show me the area. She was such a sweetheart! The moment I saw her I commented on her Ed Hardy sunglasses (that only cost her $5!) and she was already scheduling a day to take Abbie, the industrial hygienist that recently graduated from Purdue, and I shopping. The area is beautiful, being so close to the ocean. Here are the best pictures I have... (Monday was cloudy all day)...

This was early in Monday morning looking across the other balconies on my level.

This was the sunrise on Monday. I was getting ready when I realized it was happening right on my balcony so I was snapping pictures every 5 minutes.

The view the rest of the day...

Shoreline.

This is a picture of the Pallos Verdes Estates. AKA, where I will never be able to afford. It was beautiful though. And if you follow that strip of land into the ocean, you'll soon be on Catalina Island.

A pictures my boss's wife took of me before dinner.

This picture of the waves crashing in was my view from where I ate supper. I had to explain to my new boss that I have this family and everyone blogs and pictures and yadda yadda yadda... because I was pulling my camera out in the restaurant.

This pretty much concludes my stay in California. It was short-lived but I can promise you there is so much more to come.

Are Tweezers a Weapon?

2009-02-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready for my big flight out first thing tomorrow morning. Wish me luck! Hopefully I don't have any of you-know-who's luck with flying. It's been a while since I've been on a plane, I can't remember what is a weapon and what isn't anymore. I'll be sure to have my camera on me. And, since I don't have a functional laptop anymore, I'll have to wait until I get back for the big update. All I know so far is that I'm going to see the plant and meet some people I'll be working with. They're trying to work out something so I can get a feel for the neighborhood and where I might be interested in living, too. *big breath* Here I go...

One of My Favorite Things

2009-02-22T12:58:00.001-08:00

Grilled Sandwiches. I wish to introduce you all to:

Peanut Butter + Butter =

Muenster Cheese =

I finally finished one of my books (from my 5 book goal last semester), A Thousand Splendid Suns. I cried like a baby through parts of it but especially one part near the end. What do I love about reading the most? Insight to the thoughts of people. This book took what I would have never been able to imagine, war in Afghanistan, and brought some of it's real emotion and horrors into perspective for me. I loved it and now I can't wait to read The Kite Runner, it's predecessor.

Global Warming.

2009-02-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

This is something we watched in Chemistry this morning:

Snow on the Roof?

2009-02-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in my room waiting for some people from class to show up at our apartment when I heard a 'thud' outside my window. As I opened the curtains I see this taking place on the apartments across from ours. This poor guy was trying to shovel snow off the roof and apply salt to try to melt some of the ice. I don't know how he's still alive. This was clearly an immanent danger situation and the last thing I wanted to do was yell out at him, "Hey!" and startle him off the ladder. So instead, I took his picture. I might turn it into the apartment complex.

Look What I Got!

2009-02-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

I checked my mail today and I got something (semi) unexpected. What could it be? I see who it's from... (I photoshopped out my last name and our addresses)

Aww... look at the extra thought put into the packaging.

Here's the front (very cute but I'm not about to cut a lock of hair off):

And the inside (maybe now I will... this is adorable):

Tadaa!! What a sweetheart.

New Job

2009-02-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

So. Last Tuesday I met with the guys from Alcoa. As nervous as I was, I ended the night in a very lighthearted state of mind. First we met with the guys in a conference room in the building we (the other two girls and I) have class in and later we went out to dinner.

The meeting went well. We didn't discuss much I didn't already know. Turns out this is the first time Alcoa is going from campus to campus to interview students for job/internship positions. Since we're part of the first group to be hired, we're in the 'Alpha Class'. I guess we'll even get tee shirts. He told me that in Torrance, well, in California in general, the plant is a whole different ball game. He said it will be very challenging, fast pace, demanding, etc. Bring it on is what I said, haha. He even tried to scare me with a story about a girl working an hour north of the Torrance plant in Fullerton that couldn't handle it and had to be transferred. After all of the scare, I'm still excited to go. What's an internship worth if I'm not challenged, right?

Then there was dinner. I don't know if anyone has ever been to Cascade but it's the nicest area in Grand Rapids. Home of the Cascade golf course that costs $20,000/year for a membership. We ate at a place in Cascade called The Bonefish Grill:

To start, Paul ordered appetizers; crab cakes, bang bang shrimp, and calamari. My main dish was the shrimp and scallops with lemon butter sauce and a side of mixed vegetables and green beans. The entire time the guys were laughing and joking with us and telling us how awesome of an opportunity we had. Oh, and heckling the waiter (so funny). After dinner we were stuffed... so Paul ordered us dessert. We had GIANT brownies next to a scoop of real vanilla ice cream and drizzled with raspberry sauce. What a good meal.

So things with Alcoa are progressing nicely. It looks like I'll be out there starting work in mid-May. =)

NIU Part Two

2009-02-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I visited the boyfriend at Northern Illinois University. I haven't said much about him in posts because, well, I don't like introducing boys to people if they're not going to stick around long. Well, it seems there is potential in this one.

Let me introduce you to Matt Kennedy:

Safety Major, Productivity & Mechanical Engineering Tech Minors
Vice President (soon to be President!) of his American Society of Safety Engineers student chapter (it's a popular safety organization... I'm a member... the conference we met at was an ASSE conference)
Age: 25 going on 26 (he's so old!)
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite band/artist: Tom Petty
Favorite decade: 90's

Our story: We met at the Future Safety Engineers of America safety conference in Kentucky back in November at the bowling social. Anyone who knows me knows I hate bowling. Well I was sitting around while 10-15 classmates bowled and Matt started up a conversation about me beginning with, "Hey, you're that girl I saw in the hall earlier." It was true. A little embarrassing because I was awkwardly waiting at a door to get into a room and he was walking by with a friend and just slipped in a 'hi' while passing. Whatever. We hung out for a few days at the conference and have talked every day since.

I wanted to blog about the first time I visited NIU but I forgot to take my camera SO... here's my second trip =)

One of my favorite parts, we made a cake together.

Well... Matt made a cake and had the pleasure of my company.

Okay, really I just stood around and took pictures.

Seriously, I hardly contributed according to these pictures.

Matt's idea: putting strawberries and strawberry syrup into the cake. Genius.

Matt, like a 3 year old child, could not wait for the cake to cool. I tried to tell him you can't frost it when it's warm...

The end result:

This is where I came in! I ATE the cake! Not bad at all. The frosting recovered and we had one helluva cake.

Probably the best part. I know it doesn't sound that great, but I love a good competition and Matt was just that in the game of:

I lost 4 out of 5 games. So. Much. Fun. We also played Monopoly... and I got my butt kicked. Next visit: Phase 10.

Stay tuned for:
Alcoa update
Train ride
Cleaning my apartment

Twenty Five

2009-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

Things. I'm a follower =)
Actually, this is just to hold you all over until I get my pictures from the weekend. I spent a few days in Illinois and actually took my camera this time. Until I get around to posting pictures, enjoy 25 random (useless) fact about me.

1. I want an apartment on the beach.

2. I've never had a car in my 21 years of life.

3. I can't wait to have a dog someday.

4. I have a habit of making friends wherever I go.

5. I can't wait to have my own cell phone bill. (but I'll wait anyway)

6. I'm extremely happy to be dating another safety major.

7. I love a good competition.

8. I constantly lie about my last name.

9. I'm starting to hate my job and they can never get my schedule right.

10. I actually like the city of Grand Rapids even though I'm so excited to move.

11. I have a pretty laid back approach to life.

12. I have a freckle on my pinky.

13. I listen to music like I'm a 50+ year old man.

14. I wish I were famous.

15. I hate working with food... it's so gross.

16. I think my family is AWESOME.

17. My favorite color is a tie between blue and green but if it could be a shade of grey it would be black for sure.

18. I wish I had musical talent.

19. I wish I would have given engineering a shot.

20. I should shower more.

21. I'm still not sold on the idea of having kids.

22. I can't wait to be able to afford decorating an apartment.

23. I get lyrics wrong all the time.

24. I love the little town I came from... such a random little place.

25. I sleep with a baby blanket. Still.

**Alcoa is coming tomorrow... I'll have to update on that, too.**

A Day in the Life of...

2009-01-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Bologna! Here it is, I took my camera everywhere on Monday. Two of my first classes were canceled so it isn't a typical Monday for me but it is the typical day of mine as a college student. I'm actually surprised at how good this is going to turn out.

Ahhh... Good morning, day! No classes this morning, I'm going to milk my beauty sleep as long as I can (10:12am).

I pulled back the curtains only to reveal a beautiful day.

Look at those icicles! Blue skies and sunshine... good forecast for what's to come.

How can a day go wrong when you start it with a bowl of honey nut cheerios? It simply cannot.

Often I find rides back from class with a friend, Sasa (sounds like Sasha). He's in a lot of my classes and lives on Alpine, too. This is on our way from my apartment complex to the bus stop downtown. We were on our way to meet our group for Fire Science in Allendale.

The way to school: Alpine. When I see all of that Alpine in front of me I have a very "bring it on" attitude towards life.

This is the view from the stop I'm at most. I can transfer from the 9 to the 50, from the Hill Dash to the 9, or (even though I never have) I could transfer from the Hill Dash to the 50. Often I'm waiting here for up to 30 minutes to go back to my apartment.

Hello,50! Only a matter of time until you come back to pick me up!

I was such a creeper on the bus... I might have forgot to turn my flash off.

My view on the way to the Allendale campus plus the cord you pull to signal your stop.

This isn't Grand Rapids... where did a barn come from?

I meet my destination. I wanted to get a picture of the arch but I was limited to what I could see.

This is a point in my documentation that is lacking. Between here and later I went to the library, had subway, got back on the bus, and went to the Center for Health Sciences downtown where my 5 OSH classes are held. And now we resume here:

I'm the first one to class. Go figure, it doesn't start for over two hours. Well since I'm so early, want a tour?

The view from my seat. Everyone knows this is my seat. I never sit anywhere else in all 5 classes I have in this room.

We can store flammable liquids in our classroom. Jealous much?

This is the door to our confined space. I love the sign. It wasn't supposed to be permanently labeled a permit required confined space.

This is a picture of our confined space plus the tripod that stands above it for emergency retrieval. There's actually a hole up there so someone can get harnessed and drop in from above.

These are our empty hazardous materials drums. Nothing too special about those. Except they're housed by our confined space. I guess that's a little strange.

This wall around our computers is an ergonomic wall. It's to relieve stress on the worker's eyes when at a computer station. You might notice that our keyboards and mice are all ergonomic, too.

We also have a noise monitoring booth. It actually doesn't work because some genious fire person thought that it needed a sprinkler installed in case there was a fire inside. Now it isn't sound proofed.

Now that I've give everyone a tour, I sit down to do some homework...

This is school? Phones and iPods? I love school these days.

My first friend has arrived! This is one of my favorites, Jovan. Wasn't he a good sport?

This is Ryan. He lives in the same apartment complex. He's been working out with Kevin lately.

We had a guest speaker in class. He showed us how to use the tripod, how to perform an emergency evacuation, how to tell if the tripod has been used and needs to be discontinued... you name it, he covered it. It was one of the best classes I've had in a while.

Finally... the dinner I've been waiting for. Pizza. Don't judge me, I walk all over Grand Rapids.

The End! (I actually edited all of these pictures, straightened them, and made them nice but forgot to save it all before I uploaded everything. Sorry!)

This is the Diary of...

2009-01-19T07:05:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to document my entire day. I'll try to post it soon. "A Day in the Life of Bologna."

I'm going to equip myself with my camera... people will probably think I'm weird. Whatever. I've been wanting to do this for a while now.

More Visitors?

2009-01-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

I was graced by the presence of these two Monday night:

Anyone recognize them? That's my high school best friend, Sarah, and her cousin, Julie!

Now be honest, was this worthy of a blog post? I creeped them out taking pictures saying, "Sorry, I have to document my life for my family." Is this really what you all want? Small posts of my visitors and happenings? I can keep them coming...

"This is Not My Caliber of Work"

2009-01-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Cute little story for the family. This week was a pretty good one, aside from having the flu. Although I've spent about two days in pajamas, laying on the couch... I had a visitor. Who?

MATT KENNEDY!!!

That's right. All the way from Illinois. The most productive part of his visit is what I'll share with you now. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you, The Ottoman.

I'm not sure if anyone knows this about it, possibly dad, Mickey, and peej... one leg was broken almost completely off. First Matt tried to fix it with the picture nails I had laying around. This resulted in something as follows:

At this stage in the game Matt was unsatisfied and exclaimed, "This is not my caliber of work!" Refusing to settle for less than his best, we set out for Target in hopes of finding a drill. This resulted in something more like:

What do you all think? I'm pretty impressed. Maybe he stands a chance in a family full of perfectionists?

The Best Sleeping Pill

2008-12-28T06:22:00.000-08:00

Lately I've found a trick to falling asleep. It's very similar to the time I used a glass of milk and the rock opera, Tommy. Can you guess what the movie is now? Here's one hint...

"But if you miss you had better miss very well. Whoever double-crosses me and leaves me alive, he understands nothing about Tuco."

Dad should know it now.

Give up yet?

Familiar yet?

Maybe by now Peej has an idea...

Now it's getting obvious. Ready for the big secret?

Ta daa!!! Puts me right to sleep. I was going to try the three hour movie and I made it about 15 minutes. It's a slow start. Good movie but a slowwwww starrrrrrrt.

It Was a Merry Christmas.

2008-12-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

This years' Christmas was a good one; better than I had anticipated. Everyone gathered to discuss politics and new technology. Where was I? Playing Twister, Fooseball, and Apples to Apples. However, I was also doing a little bit of sneaking...

The family's newfound google maps thinger:

Also, one of the best family pictures I've seen in a while... too bad there are a couple missing:

Later that night was Apples to Apples. Think John was nervous?

And finally... a father and son, bonding over the magnificence of a simple game on Christmas Day:

The Big Reveal

2008-12-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

It's not really that big. I just jumped on a train and went to Chicago where I was picked up and brought to Northern Illinois University to spend a few days with someone I met at the safety conference I went to in Kentucky Nov. 6th, 7th, and 8th. It was cool. I don't get to see other schools very often. I spent a lot of time in the engineering building because he's a computer technician there and I tagged along.

My adventure started right away Monday morning. My train was scheduled to leave at 7:35am. I had arranged a ride to the train the week prior and called the night before to make sure he was still on. We decided he'd pick me up at 6:50am. When 6:50 rolled around, he wasn't here. I tried to call and he didn't answer. I called about three times and finally noticed I had a voicemail from him at 2:30am. "Hey JP, it's Gootz, call me back." Son of a... I called his roommate to see if he could go wake him up and his roommate, Rob, was nice enough to not only answer the phone and get out of bed, but he actually just got up and gave me a ride himself (Gootz has proven himself very unreliable). With no time to waste, I grabbed my stuff and at least walked out to the road when Rob was close. It was about 7:15am. I'm freaking out at this point. We were cutting it close the entire way and fighting morning traffic into the city. We finally get to the train and what do you know? It's parked on the street and people are boarding... from the other side. I took it upon myself to get out and do a little run around the entire thing and I got on... with about 3 minutes to spare. Whew...

The train ride was pretty cool. I sat next to a gentleman who used to be a professor at Grand Valley in the engineering department. He is teaching at a different school now and lives in Holland. I told him all about my (short) past experiences with moving to California and my future internship... we talked almost the entire way. He was an interesting person.

Is there any such thing as too friendly? I think I make new friends everywhere I go...

Into Chicago I came. (The NIU guy is Matt). Matt's sister was waiting to pick me up. Equipped with a phone number and zero knowledge of what she looks like, I was off into Union Station in search of a stranger. I found her within 3 minutes I think. Impressive?

From the station she made the 1.5 hour drive in less than an hour. A little nerve-racking but I think she was comfortable driving, which helps put me at ease.

As far as the actual visit... nothing much happened. Like I said, I hung out in the engineering building every day. I met his boss. One of his professors. I got to see the safety classrooms. Walked around the campus (it's really spread out). Walked to rent some movies. Not only was the weather bad, but he doesn't have a car. I did a LOT of walking.

Before I knew it, I was on my way back to good old Michigan. The ride back was long but alas, I'm back and in good condition.

Did you know to take a train from Grand Rapids to Chicago is only $14 one way and $14 back between Monday and Friday?

Where In The World Is...

2008-12-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

Jay Pee?

That will come at a later date. I had three days off from work so I vacated for a while. I'll let you guys try to guess it out a little. It'll be an interesting post for a later date.

For now, I need to update on a very important matter. I don't know how I mustered the strength to wait so long (my internet connection failed). Without further adue, I present...

The newest intern for Alcoa, Torrance, CA.

I accepted the internship position out in LA. I'm moving!! Here's a link to my plant and what we make:

http://www.alcoa.com/locations/usa_torrance/en/home.asp

Isn't that awesome? On Monday, the guy that set me up with the position sent me a pack of some papers to sign and return along with an Alcoa pen/highlighter and Alcoa 1GB USB drive. I'm happy.

You may be wondering, what are some of the perks? With new work, there are always perks, right? Here's mine: In the dead of winter (Febuary-March) they want to fly me out there to take a look at the plant and get to know some of the people I'll be working with. I will also be hooked up with a realitor to try to find a place to stay. Jealous yet?

Finally, just to warn you, with all of this newfound success I might be the biggest threat at the "Anything You Can Eat With A Spoon" competition. Are you ready for a throwdown???

Exams Are Coming to a Close

2008-12-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

One down, 4 more to go. Today's went well. I've recieved unofficial final grades in two classes right now and I can proudly say, not too bad. Tomorrow I have two take home exams due and philosophy statements. Next week I have to take two more exams and turn in an Industrial Hygeine paper. I'm feeling good about the end of the semester and already looking forward to the next. I wish I would have heard of this major sooner...

A Little Thanksgiving Addition

2008-11-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Is this what Thanksgiving is?

Turkey + Stuffing + Beer + the Lions = One Long Nap

I think I did good for myself.
Happy Thanksgiving, family! Sorry I'm not with any of you =(

Big News.

2008-11-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

Obviously I have big news. These days I just don't blog unless something huge happened (i.e. changing plans to marry).

I heard back from Alcoa today. Here's the nitty gritty:

- I've been offered a minimum of a 3 month internship (which could very possibly lead to more)
- The internship pays $3000/mo. plus $500 for living expenses
- After 3 months I'd have the opportunity to continue on (if I like them) or go somewhere else
- If after 3 months I want to continue I'd be immediately making salary dollars (which hasn't been discussed yet) and start my 18 month training process
- The job is in TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA!!!

That's right. See the ocean? See L.A.?

A Dream Come True.
Needless to say, I'm going to jump on this opportunity. It's in a very high cost of living area so the guy that interviewed me actually wants to skip the internship pay completely and start me out at salary in April. They've already offered the job to me 100% and are now trying to give me more money.

I love growing up.

One More Thing...

2008-11-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to dad I was reminded I have one more thing to say:

Monday I interviewed with Alcoa (it's an aluminum forging/manufacturing plant) and I was contacted for a second interview.

I was going to leave it as a reply to dad's comment but I think it deserves it's own blog. Don't forget to comment about my last one though! (I really would like to hear where I should spend my $25 at Amazon.com).

Thanks y'all!

Here's Another Update

2008-11-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry I'm a slacker, I've been bombarded with a trip to Kentucky, homework and projects for the last few days/weeks.

All of the things on my list were completed within the next hour or two. Second time was a charm I guess.

I still intend on posting a blog about my Girls' Night party.

Kentucky was amazing. I met some good people and good work contacts (which is the point of the whole thing). I'm also more engaged in classroom material now. I'm excited about my major. Part of it might be the networking, part of it might be that I didn't know many of the quizbowl questions. Which brings me to my next high point: my quizbowl team won. I won a coffee mug and $25 to use at Amazon.com.

=)

Bad Day

2008-11-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

My first two classes were canceled today. You would think I'd be happy. Here's what was on my agenda. (For anyone who doesn't already know, I lost my wallet)

1. Get new license
2. Order new debit card
3. Switch my old phone to Michael's old phone
4. Change my phone number

Here's how successful I was...

1. Got there at 10:00am and they open at 11:00am
2. Success
3. Don't know the last four digits of Traci's ssn
4. Have to have permission from Traci

I'm one for four today and Kevin has already given up and gone back to bed.
Anyone want to drive me around?

Hello November.

2008-11-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

I didn't reach my quota for October and I apologize to you all. A few things that were left unresolved:

1. The Halloween thing was supposed to be Princess Zelda and Link
2. Jordan and I broke up

I'm okay.

Thursday I'm going to Kentucky for the Future Safety Leaders of America conference. I'm excited. I bought a new suit for it (only $21!)... I love The Burlington Coat Factory.

A Smart Man

2008-10-21T09:21:00.001-07:00

"Growth results in a continued freshness of application."

Younger, I would be at the video rental store looking to rent a movie. I remember mom taking me and I would rent The Flintstones. I must have rented the movie five times in a row. Finally, dad took me to rent a movie. I wanted Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I was told, "No." Dad had seen the movie before. At the time I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept.

In another setting we were sitting at home watching Casper. Dad must have been doing all he could to tolerate it so we could watch. There was a scene that showed the staircase and he said, "I didn't see that before." At the time I had no idea how he could be seeing such miniscule details.

What is the point to this? Today my professor noted that the only way he can watch a movie more than once is if a) he enjoys it and b) he brings in freshness of application by looking for new things. Who knew my very own father was teaching me how to grow all these years?

A First For Me

2008-10-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said my manager Marylin loves me? Well she truly does. Upon entering work yesterday she told me, "I need to talk to you." I thought it was bad news for me.

My first thoughts were, "What did I do wrong?" and "Where did I lose money?"

Since the time was never going to really be right for her to tell me, while I was ringing up a customer she finally said, "I'll just tell you right now. You know what Mallory and I do? How would you like to do that?"

(She's talking about being a cahsiers' manager.)

Without hesitation I took the offer. Ladies and gentleman, I am now a cashiers' manager. My official title is a CSS. Along with added responsibility comes a larger paycheck. Bring it on. I'm so excited for it no matter how many people tell me it's going to suck.

Friday Night Plans

2008-10-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

My manager, Marilyn, loves me. She gave me this coming Friday off from work. With nothing to do from 2:00-?? I put some ideas together and came up with this: Girls' Night In. I'm going to invite over some of my favorite girls, put up a "no boys allowed sign" and have some of these things:

1. Ice breakers: Just a few games so the girls that don't know each other can get to that point a little faster
2. Spa recipes: I'm going to have the ingredients set up on the counter with little recipe cards. hopefully they'll even be able to take home some homemade lotion or something.
3. Pajamas
4. Brownies, ice cream and hot fudge: What's a girls' night without it?
5. Wine
6. Some kind of game: I'm thinking Apples to Apples or Catch Phrase
7. A chick flick

Friday should be fun. On top of that, I think Ana might be visiting. Her and her new husband, Will, are going to be attending Grand Rapids Community College. Will has already gotten into their culinary program and Ana is going to try as soon as CMU gets her transcripts to her. While they're here they're going to be looking at getting an apartment in the same complex.

Once again, Friday should be fun. Thanks for your book submissions. I'll let you know which ones I decide to read.

Goal Setting

2008-10-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

I set a few goals today. One of them was to read 5 books before the end of the semester. So far on my list I have:

1. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
2. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
3. (I'm on the fence about this one) The Analects of Confucius: A Philosophical Translation (Classics of Ancient China)

Any suggestions for 4, 5, and possibly a different number 3? And has anyone heard of "Kindle"? It's really cool. Expensive and for people who read more but it looks really really cool.

Hot Topic

2008-10-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

Not the store. But the actual hot topic right now. I've only shared this with Traci and Amy but I think Sarah might find it a bit useful. Google Notebook makes saving/sharing urls really easy. http://google.com/notebook

My personal notebook is: http://www.google.com/notebook/public/10530402410698485880/BDSKpIgoQ_unAlMcj

And no hints quite yet, dad. There will be more to come as Halloween draws closer but you're going to have to hold your horses.

Hello Octubre

2008-10-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

October is a unique month of the year. It's weather brings cool, crisp air after the dense humidity of summer. The trees turn bright oranges, yellows and reds and light up the (few) hills of Michigan. It's the first month of sweaters and cinnamon candles. What does this October have me excited for? Halloween, my friends.

Here's just a preview of our couple's costume. Can you guess what it might be? (Peej or Mickey, if you know it don't answer... I can't remember if I told you). Here's the first hint you all will get. It isn't a good hint at all (I couldn't let it be easy). I might have a few more as the month progresses. Enjoy your first hot chocolates of the season. Cheers!

Breakfast of Champions.

2008-09-23T06:40:00.001-07:00

That's 100% chocolate whey protein mixed with milk, yogurt, ice and homework. Delicious after a good morning's workout.

I Made a Bet

2008-09-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

Anyone ever make a bet and start to wonder why after a while? Well here's my story...

Jordan will never try any of my food so in a desperate attempt to have Kevin try my chai latte yesterday, I made a bet that I'd try something of his. Now, if you've never had a chai (dad), it's made up of a spiced tea concentrate, it tastes kind of like pumpkin pie and cinnamon, and milk (in my case I like it with vanilla soy milk). It's like a dessert more than a drink.

Note to self: Never make bets with someone who enjoys 1. Entering the marines 2. Eating hot foods.

The deal was a sip of chai for a habanero pepper. I had the pepper confused at the time with the little yellow peppers he bought the same day. I clarified very quickly when he pulled out the small container with the dark orange peppers in it. He at least cut it in half for me so I didn't have to suffer through a whole one.

Those seeds were the end of me. One bite into them and I was instantly in pain. I swallowed it barely chewed up just to survive. I didn't think of the repercussions. I'm just going to say it this way... I think I left my intestine in the toilet and I had to write this standing up.

What's the lesson? Jordan should try my foods more often so I'm not pushed into making stupid bets.

Anyone else ever make a stupid bet??

Here's your visual. I'm done.

Powerbars...

2008-09-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

First let me describe the scene...

I was sitting in room 277 waiting for my next OSH class to start. As time ticked away I made easy conversation with my cousin sitting right next to me. I expressed the longing to exercise once more. While exercising is an activity I enjoy, it's also one I can hate. As with any love/hate relationship, there is always a question in one's mind as to why they ever stopped. This made our conversation run something as follows:

"I kind of miss exercising," I started. He looked and without hesitating he replied,

"You should start running with me again."

I pondered the thought for a few seconds. I had already been rolling it around in my mind for a few days but I would be dragged back to the last time when I wound up crying in the middle of an old golf course parking lot (so many hills). Finally I decided to say the key phrase, "It's not that I don't like to run... I just can't run like you."

"I'll take it easy on you, we can start out slow just like we did last year." was his next bullet.

He was saying all the things I wanted to hear. Before I knew it, I had a contract signed saying I would only eat the things he deemed adequate for me to eat and I would get up and exercise on his command.

Well. Here I am. Not even a week into it and so much lactic acid build up in my muscles it's amazing I can even type this blog. I'm on an all protein diet and running about a mile a day with follow-up exercises. Today was my carb day and I spent lunch at McDonald's. Now it's another week of chicken and cottage cheese until I can have another delicious, mouth-watering, oh-so-delightful carb again.

Hopefully the next time everyone sees me I'll be more in shape if not a bit slimmer.

My goal is just to get back in shape before I get myself into a wedding dress.

Kelly Clarkson.

2008-09-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

This is the video I meant to have posted. It's a little bit of the drive to Shae's place when I was hanging out with Michael in July.

I don't know why I'm smiling a ridiculous amount.

Homework... barely.

2008-08-31T07:42:00.001-07:00

In my first week of school I'm always looking for homework so I can stay ahead of myself a little. I find myself settling for recopying notes and reading chapter 1 of books I'll never be tested on instead. I have a few homework assignments for the weekend finally but still nothing big yet. I have good news about my future projects though:

I have to do a presentation on a 13 page chapter (that's really short) with Kevin (the cousin I live with).

Sounds so easy. It's a big relief.

Hopefully chaos strikes soon... I feel uncomfortable being so comfortable with school.

Day Two

2008-08-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Today was a little different than yesterday. Kevin and I found out we don't have quite the same schedule. I rode to campus early and did a little reading before my class but he wasn't going to wait 2 hours for me to get out and give me a ride home. That means that today was my first bus ride to North Grand Rapids.

Usually my experience on the bus is a mild one. Everyone else attends Grand Valley and has a backpack. Not this time. This was the first time I've ever been asked to show my Grand Valley student ID (students ride free). Immediately I noticed I was in different company. I was the minority. I shuffled my way to the back of the bus where I sat quietly without stirring next to a homeless guy and his trash bag.

Nothing bad happened. I didn't really expect it to. It was just a different experience. I expected it to be the way it was... I work at The Burlington Coat Factory... everyone that rides that bus shops in my store.

Back to School

2008-08-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day of class. I only had two classes; Behavioral Aspects of Safety and Ergonomic Safety Engineering. Can you guess which one I'm the most excited for?

Ergonomic Safety Engineering. My project is to give a report on tennis elbow and Kevin's is carpel tunnel.

What's the other upside? I don't have any classes before 11:00am. Oh, and it only took Kevin and I 15 minutes to get to the shuttle to the CHS building that all of our classes are in. That's a full 10 minutes less than it takes from Allendale.

Score.

Could It Be?

2008-08-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Yes. Finally pictures of my new apartment. Enjoy...

I'm In!

2008-08-18T11:21:00.001-07:00

I'm in my new apartment, most of my stuff is unpacked. And get this:

WE FINALLY HAVE INTERNET!

Finally... I've been needing to check my bank account.

Pictures to come soon...

Slacker.

2008-08-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm really slacking here. Friday is my big move out date and I plan to post pictures when I get settled. For now my news is:

I have a new computer. Rest in Peace laptop, you are now replaced by a desktop. I will remember you always as the portable piece of crap that you were.

Sorry for the lack of blogging. I'm sure I'll hear about this at a later date (the next family get together).

Sleep Tight

2008-07-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is my new masterpiece of a headboard. It isn't finished yet but I'll post pictures if it does get done. The wood is being purchased today.

Jordan is taking care of the entire thing. Notice he's going to use some oak. I think dad would be slightly impressed?

Guess What's For Lunch

2008-07-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was swimming after my Irish coffee when I realized, I was feeling a bit weak. I decided to cook up some lunch. The cast of characters (can you guess what it's going to be?) My guess is dad will know:

Here's the beginning:

It's never too late to sautee:

The end result:

Some delicious sloppy joes. My next try at cooking might be with a homemade bbq sauce.

Irish Coffee

2008-07-26T07:57:00.001-07:00

Ahhh, Happy Saturday. I started mine off with coffee and Irish cream. The real Irish cream. It is definitely my favorite way to have my coffee now. Don't worry, I only had one cup. Another star in today's morning role was the blueberry pancake. Does breakfast get any better? I think not...

Two high points right now (besides breakfast): 1. I get 35.5 hours this coming week. 2. I'm scheduled to move into my apartment in a few weeks. Are you as excited as I am?

I hope you're weekend is great.

Burgers

2008-07-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night: a good night to fire up a grill. I decided it was a good time to try grilling. A few people know how grilling burgers last summer went, I'll sum it up for those who don't. It was a pound of burger but I didn't realize it was 3/4 grease. It turned out I only needed about 2 slices of cheese to cover 8 tiny burgers.

So tonight the special was burgers stuffed with pepperjack cheese. These were much bigger... and better.

Spaghetti Dinner

2008-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

This was my next meal. Attn: Dad, he said "This is better than the one your dad made." For the record there was no comparison, dad's was better. He's not so great anymore, huh?

I Had a Nice Weekend

2008-07-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Weekend: n. a time to relax

That's how I defined the word weekend these past few days. I'll break it down, day by day.

Friday:
Nothing too exciting to say about Friday. I had breakfast in Coleman and left for Grand Rapids shortly after. Upon my arrival I picked up my check from work, got my schedule for the week, and went to the bank. After picking up Jordan from work the weekend began. We picked up paint from the Home Depot and came home. We then sat down to a nice dinner (we were hungry). Forgetting about the paint I picked up just hours later I suggested we watch a movie. I chose The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (classic). After 4 hours went by we realized it was midnight and I forgot I wanted to paint.

Saturday:
Today was the real beginning to the weekend. As soon as Jordan got out of work we went to painting. He sanded while I labored in the hot sun. Here are the pictures.

And the finished product:

Sunday:
Sunday Jordan had plans to golf with his dad and I had plans to swim all day with my friend, Ryan Perry... or better known as Gootz. I'll name a few of the high points of the day 1) sunshine 2)swimming 3) beer 4) Tigers (they won, too!) 5) grilling hot dogs. It was the most relaxing day I've had in a long time. We were swimming/grilling for about four and a half hours. After he left I put on some pajamas and fell asleep until Jordan came home and made me this:

Isn't he great?
[End Weekend]

The End to My Travels

2008-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the great, 5 fork conclusion you all have been waiting for(I'll let the pictures do the talking):

And then I came across this beauty. The Michelob seasonal beer, brewed with chocolate and caramel:

I'm biased to say it was good but it was just okay. It definitely needs to be cold.

To Logan's and Beyond

2008-07-10T06:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I traveled around many places but one of my greatest finds, perhaps, was this character:

Shortly after he got to my mom's we all went out to eat at Logan's (mom, peej, mickey, and I).

To cap off the night we went to Shae and Scott's place but I don't have many pictures of there. Michael took a video of the car ride over but you'll have to get it from him. This is all I have:

Today I'm just sitting around until it's time to go to Grandma P's later. Yesterday was very successful, I picked up a dining room table and chairs thanks to an Aunt C and an entertainment center thanks to K-Mart. Still hunting for a coffee table (but not a necessity) and bar stools. I'll try to get some more pictures from tonight. To be continued...

Back to My Roots

2008-07-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

With the entire week off (other than Monday) I found myself having to fill the extra time on my hands. Instead of nipping at Jordan's heels what could I do? He had plans to fish and golf all week leaving me by myself to either watch movies or play Zelda. I decided to come home for a few days. Yup, I'm in Coleman. I have my camera and I'll be taking pictures of my travels but so far it's only been to Midland for some cheap shopping for the apartment. I'm realizing that in my past living experiences my roommates have furnished everything. Now I'm trying to pick up a dining room table and chairs (if you know any, let me know), two bar stools, and a coffee table. I picked up a cheap entertainment center today. Still on the agenda is visiting Grandma P and going out to dinner tonight with mom and peej. More to come as the week progresses...

Ruby Tuesday

2008-07-08T07:32:00.001-07:00

I don't have much to post about lately, which is the same reason I often go so long without posting. I'm trying to keep people updated anyway though. I have a few areas in life I can update on. I'll start with my apartment search and finish with work.

Next school year I'm planning on living with my cousin, Kevin. We are both OSH majors and coordinated our schedules so we can study together, too. We'll be sharing classes and a two bedroom apartment. Last Wednesday we decided it would be a good day to start looking for a place to live next month. We started out looking between Allendale and Grand Rapids but nothing was working out. One of the landlords had given us a brochure of places in the Grand Rapids area to look at. Every time Kevin said a place I recognized it. Most were on a road called Alpine, north of Grand Rapids near Comstock Park. I drive down Alpine every time I go to work and it's about 5-10 minutes from Jordan's parents' house, depending on where you are. I offered to take him there since I knew it so well and there's a bus line that takes you down Alpine directly to the downtown campus.

We got to our first place called Green Ridge and he was already loving the Alpine area. There are a lot of stores so he said he could apply to work anywhere and it'd be close to the apartment. When we went in the office the lady we talked to had a two bedroom that will be open just in time for us. The price was right so we asked to see one of the units. They're perfect. It has a balcony with outdoor storage, a vaulted ceiling in the living room, patio doors with a half circle window above them, two large bedrooms with walk in closets, two bathrooms, a washer and dryer, and a pool open from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Did I mention it's right next to The Burlington Coat Factory?

Other than finding my dream place I've been looking for some gender neutral decorations and since we're both over 21 beer is very gender neutral. I've picked up some tin Irish beer signs that I think will look cool in the living room. Pictures will be up when we move in.

The only update I have for The Burlington Coat Factory is that they've given me more responsibility. Not only do I work customer service a majority of the time instead of just a normal register, but they've been starting me with a $500 drawer instead of only $100. The next step: upgrade from a level 0 key to a level 1 key so I can do some returns without supervision.

My Fourth

2008-07-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

My 4th of July was a good one. I had to work from 10:00am-6:30pm but I think I got holiday pay and I had plenty of time afterwards to go see fireworks. You'll notice in this post there are no pictures, I apologize. I left straight from work to go to the beach and realized I forgot my camera the second we got in the car.

As far as fireworks go, they've never really been my thing. I've only gone to the fireworks once and they were in Midland, if that says anything about the quality. Although Midland has a nice show, there are better ones. We went to Grand Haven for the works this year. I can easily say they were the best I've ever seen. We were sitting on the water waiting for the show when they started off with a water and lights production. It was like the fountain you see in Vegas that shoots up water except it had music to it and red, white, and blue lights. It was amazing. After the water show it was dark enough to shoot off the fireworks, finally. We had been sitting on the cement area that boats tie up to for three hours.

Long story short, the fireworks were amazing, especially the reflection in the water. I hope you all had a good 4th, too.

Beachin' It

2008-07-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

I know it's about time to update my blog so here it is. I'll start by posting some pictures from my birthday weekend.

What's that? I'm engaged?? Awww...

Corona. La cerveza mas fina. The finer beer. Definitely a celebratory beer.

We had hot dogs and s'mores.

Annie and I. She is one of my favorite people ever.

These are probably my two best friends from college. Annie and Gootz. (He actually has a name but it's Ryan Perry, bleh).

That pretty much sums up my birthday weekend, minus a few minuscule details. Last weekend I had a nice visit from Miss Sarah Novak and Mr. Luke Huss. They came in Friday night and left Sunday morning. I was really excited because in my couple of years in west Michigan I've wanted her to come out here but she never has. So what did we do? Jordan and I made sure these Coleman natives realized what they're missing out on. Unfortunately I had to work for about half of their visit so I didn't get pictures from anywhere but the beach. By the way, they're also engaged.

If we're going to a lake I'm getting in it.

It was a good day. A good weekend, actually.

The Cat's Out

2008-06-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Jordan and I are, in fact, engaged. Yay!

Life at 21

2008-06-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

So far life at 21 years of age is weird. I have a few stories. Let me start with the time I tried to buy my first beer.

The store was Rite Aid, the time was around 1:00pm. I was hanging out with Jordan's mom for the afternoon. She had to make a stop at Rite Aid. While I was there I decided to wander around. "I found the liquor aisle," I said to his mom. Then a thought came to mind. I can finally buy this stuff. It was Monday, the day after my 21st birthday. I looked around for any kind of beer, liquor would be a stupid buy. I don't need a $15 bottle of liquor on a Monday afternoon. The next find was a 30 pack of beer. Again, it was useless to buy 30 beers on a Monday afternoon. Finally I came across a cooler full of individual beers. I knew right away which one was for me. It was red, about 16 ounces, and in an aluminum can. The brand: Budweiser. I knew it was for me because there was a Detroit Tigers' 'D' printed on the side. I made my way to the counter when a thought ran through my head. Maybe they won't let me buy this with a paper license. I was so excited that I couldn't stop myself from saying, "Yesterday was my birthday this is my first attempt at purchasing beer!" with a giant smile on my face. His face, however, was quite different. With a straight face he looked at me and said, "It's kind of our policy that was can't take these licenses. We're not really supposed to." He said it with such uncertainty that I was sure he just didn't want to sell to me because I look 17. This is how the story actually ends, too. I was turned down.

Yesterday Jordan took me to a bar so we could have my first beer and the waitress didn't even card us. She said, "Wow! You two look like babies!" to which Jordan replied, "She just turned 21 Sunday so we're having her first legal beer here." The waitress proceeded to sell us beer without even bothering to check our ID's.

I don't understand life after 21.

What Day is It?

2008-06-22T09:05:00.001-07:00

The title describes how I feel. Happy birthday, me!

Should Be a Good Day

2008-06-15T06:59:00.001-07:00

It's Sunday and my first day off in two weeks. How excited am I? Well I knew you'd be wondering. I'm very excited. This is the plan.

Jordan has to do some yard work I guess (just found out). Afterwards we're going to go shopping. SHOPPING! Yeahhh. Not anything big, just going to Linens and Things because they're going out of business. They're supposed to have a 10-30% discount and I need a rubber ducky shower curtain for my bathroom when I move in the fall... and maybe I can find some other treasures.

Then we're scheduled to go to the Home Depot to get paint. I'm going to repaint my desk! Yay! I'm going to do a deep, rich, chocolate brown color. I think I'm going to change my chair, too. I've been using a spatter painted blue chair (the splattered paint is white). My dad used to use it to paint ceilings when I was little and I stole it to take to school with me. It's a little wobbly now, though, so I'm thinking about changing chairs or maybe painting it to match the desk... or something... I have no idea. Do you have any ideas for me?

How about some kind of theme I can tie into my room next year? The living room? Kitchen? I know you were into interior design for a while, dad. Let me know, thanks.

Rob the Jewlery Store and Tell Them Make Me a Grill...

2008-06-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is the song that made grills popular. They're named for the grill of a car.

Life Lately.

2008-06-11T09:04:00.001-07:00

Life lately looks like this: Wake up around 10:00am, go to work around noon (give or take), come home around 10:00pm, play Zelda for a while, and go back to bed. Not that I don't love to work but it's annoying. I've never wanted to quit a job like yesterday. I don't need to go into all of the whiny details but let it be known I hate being a deli clerk. However, both jobs have perks.

Perks of working retail:
1. I don't have to wear a hat (I can wear my hair down if I want!).
2. I get to look nice.
3. It's a slow, easy job.
4. My breaks are scheduled and happen.

Perks of food service:
1. The store is smaller so I can be out of it in 30 seconds.

I have a plan to post a blog showing the difference in outfits sometime but until then you'll just have to wait.

Also, a side note, I bought a candy grill (for my teeth) yesterday. I had a lot of fun with that. I should have made a music video.

Old Games, Good Times.

2008-06-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

So about a week ago Jordan and I were craving our old Nintendo 64 games we had in middle school. We searched for the old memorabilia and all we found was the system and power cord. After immediately going into action, we Ebayed a controller, game, rumble pack, memory card, and AC adapter. The last parts have just arrived as of yesterday and we've been playing ever since (with the exception of work hours).

What was your favorite game growing up?

TGI Fridayyy!

2008-06-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday but it isn't really special. I have an 8 hour shift at the BCF. Hopefully I'll have some good stories after the weekend. Every day this weekend I work 1:00pm-close (9:00pm Fri, Sat and 7:00pm Sun). Weekends are the most exciting due to the increased shopping volume. You would think working in a retail store that somehow attracts half of the state's minorities I'd have some good stories. So far I just have some notable people. I'll see what I can do to nickname them.

1. "Coke Girl" Coke not because she loves the beverage but rather because she had a striking feature that could be represented by another slang term for coke. Just a guess at her weight, I'd say about 250lbs, she needed another 6 inches on the top of her pants, as well as the bottom of her shirt, and also a very hefty pair of underwear. I'm not sure how she didn't feel a breeze. The worst part? My manager remembered her from the prior week. I guess she dressed the same way.

2. "Crazy mom" For some reason I have this 'problem' thinking people are honest. I had one mother, or mother figure I'm not sure if she was a parent, come to my register and this is what happened: Her family of 5-6 stood right in front of the doors with big purses (this should have been a clue), she rung up one very large boy's shirt (obviously not something for her), she mumbled the entire time and I just kind of smiled and agreed (to make the customer happy) the only thing I understood was "I'm getting all this stuff for them and don't gotta single thing for myself." At this point I'm confused because "all this stuff" was only one shirt. The entire time she spoke fast, bought one useless item, and hurried out the door. Figured her out yet? Later my manager told me her family stole bags full of stuff while she played somewhat innocent/the distractor and checked out.

So far these are the only two that have really made a lasting impression on me. I ring up a lot of young mothers and people who can't speak English (then I feel really dumb for speaking really bad broken Spanish). Hopefully this weekend I'll get some more action. Wish me luck!

Thursday.

2008-06-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

So today was busy. I woke up at 11:18am to a storm, which wasn't bad, I like storms. Then I saw a voicemail, missed call, and text (sorry, dad, couldn't help it). So the voicemail is the part I want to get to. As I checked it I was asked to come in and train in the deli (finally) from noon-6:00pm. Well I was already scheduled today at 5:00pm so I hurried to call back and asked if noon-4:00pm was good enough. This is where it gets tricky. She said noon-4:00pm would work fine so now it was up to me to get there in time. Let me break it down:

It was now about 11:20am and I had 40 minutes to get there, keep in mind I just woke up. No problem for me to get ready in 15 minutes (I usually leave at the 35 minute mark to get to work early).

Just after getting off the phone (still about 11:20am) I realize I have no car. Great. Jordan took it to work because I didn't plan on having to use it until 4:30pm. Now I'm panicking.

Luckily Jordan's sister was able to get me to the golf course to pick up the car. I only have about 9 minutes to get ready so I quick throw my hair up (I wear a hat in the deli), put on my jeans and ugly polo, brush my teeth, and run out the door (11:30am, impressed yet?).

So I make it to job #1 on time. Whew. On my 15 minute break I bought a lunchable and scarfed it in the car. Ready for my transition?

I had two checks to deposit so I went to the bank. Due to my hectic morning I forgot one of the two at home and only deposited one. The cashier at the bank asked how my day was and I explained how crazy it had been so far and how I had to find a way to get from my deli uniform to my retail clothes. This was a really nice cashier, she offered the bank's bathroom for me to change in. So I did. It was pretty awkward going into the bathroom looking like a deli clerk and coming out looking like a business woman but I got over it soon enough.

Anyway, I saved so much time in the bank that I had a chance to stop at Starbucks and grab some espresso and a rice crispy treat. My first day in the deli went really well, too, in case you wondered. I'm catching on extremely fast in both jobs, it's kind of freaking me out. I'm able to do somethings at the BCF that some superiors can't do yet. Sometimes I hate being an overachiever. Oh well.

That's all I have. Hope your Thursday was a little less stressful. =)

This is Wednesday.

2008-06-04T19:06:00.001-07:00

Today is kind of an interesting day for me. I'm actually busy for once. I work from 1:00pm-Close (9:00pm) tonight at the BCF. That's pretty much my entire day since I woke up at 10:00am.

Wednesday means golf league. Jordan's going to be golfing with his dad and uncle tonight like every Wednesday (what's so special about golf, seriously?). Something really big happened Monday that I forgot to report. Jordan's first hole in one.

Here's a picture of my memory card (for dad). It holds a whopping 32mb. Don't be intimidated.

Good Weekend.

2008-06-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here's my first moderately pointless blog. The only point of it is to share pictures from the weekend really. However, I actually have news. On the way home we almost drove over a snapper so I told Jordan to stop the car so I could get a picture for my blog. He let it snap his shoe and I wasn't ready so I screamed like a girl. Oh, and one more update: I don't know if it's the result of my sunburn or the things I put on it to make it better (aloe, vinegar, eucerin cream) but my eyes are really swollen. I mean they're so bad that when I wake up in the morning my eyes are almost swollen shut. I look like Rocky after a fight. That's all.

For Michael and the Family

2008-05-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

If you wish to view it in full screen mode I think you need to go to slideshare.net to do it. The pictures are the best part. Dad sent me a few and I took it upon myself to get a few for myself. Enjoy!

Good Food

2008-05-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

This is something I've been meaning to post. I wrote it sometime fall semester I think. I was definitely stressing out at the time. I like it though so I thought I'd post it here.

I sat in my chair patiently, legs dangling to the floor, as I watched the knife brush back and forth along the bread. I had seen it many times and this instance was nothing out of the ordinary. I watched, astonished, as the white substance was covered by peanut butter. The delicious snack was passed my way by my babysitter. As I took it politely with my chubby little hands, I pondered over the white under the peanut butter. What was it? I would ask every time and my babysitter would never give the answer. So I decided it was mayonnaise.

Fifteen years later I'm getting the butter out of the refrigerator on my own, smoothing it over the bread and hiding it with my own twist on the snack, honey peanut butter. My hands, much larger, handled each product with the same control my babysitter had. Looking at the piece of bread in my hand I felt comfort; for the first time in weeks. It wasn't the kind of comfort that allowed me to relax and know my life will be okay, but it was enough to get me through a moment. As I continued looking at my food, I wished myself back in that chair that was too big for me, at the counter that was too high for me, and back in all of the moments when control was unnecessary. I never needed to know how to make my own food, or how to pay rent, work, study, believe me, the list goes on. I was simply taken care of. Granted, it is great to know I'm an independent being, but something in that bread, butter, and peanut butter took me back to a place of comfort… and I needed it.

Bird Houses.

2008-05-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jordan and I were uber bored so we brainstormed. Well the best we came up with is to find something random to paint. We drove to the Michael's craft store down the road and picked up some $5.00 bird houses and paint. We popped in the movie Anchorman and went to work last night. These pictures are the result of our painting. Enjoy!

P.S.
Yes, those are the Red Wings in the background.

Here Is The Rest

2008-05-11T18:05:00.001-07:00

I Had Myself a Nice Little Saturday...

2008-05-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Fishing? Nah. It was the Pleasant Creek Ave. garage sale day. I had a bunch of old stuff in it I never wear anymore and made $22.50. But even better, Jordan's dad decided today was the day to take down the pine tree. I don't know why things like this are more exciting to me than the best casserole recipe ever but come on, how much more awesome is a giant tree coming down? Let me describe how this happened, because it was really amusing to me...

It started like this: Two men, father and son, standing with their hands on their hips gazing at the 50-60 ft. tall pine. Jordan has an ego similar to my dad's so when he saw it leaning at a 75 degree angle towards the house/garage that stands about 40 feet away he said, "No problem, it'll fall right into the garden." I had no idea how he could be so sure it would fall the exact opposite way it was leaning but then again, I never understand dad's logic either. Our scenario was shaky. Jordan's dad offered to get rope to pull the tree away from the house but again, the ego got in the way and he said, "I'm sure I won't need it."

You might be thinking how obvious it was that the tree fell towards the pool/house but I have to admit, he had me convinced that that tree would defy the laws of physics. Jordan reared up the tiny electric chain saw, he was the mortician and this tree was dead. He chiseled the first wedge out of the tree and continued on the opposite side. I don't want to make these two sound like total idiots or anything, they did take a precaution to aid the tree in falling the other way; they propped a plank against the tree above where he was sawing to push it over.

I dazed off into the yard somewhere and I knew the moment of truth had come. Jordan let out a, "Oh sh#$!" I looked up and ran a little as I saw a giant pine fall right into the fence around the pool, towards the house. My life was complete. There wasn't any damage and we all stood back and laughed a little in anticipation of Jordan's mom seeing. Let me tell you, her reaction was priceless.

The rest of the story isn't really a big deal. I helped carry out the limbs while Jordan hacked away with the electric machine. It was a fun day of work outside for the most part. To finally cap it all off, Jordan made a chair out of the stump of the tree. Even though his chain saw lacked stamina compared to their 16" gas saw, he enjoyed it like a kid with a brand new toy. Not long after perfecting his pine chair, he found a new toy- the blowtorch. He torched it to give it a nice brown finish. Like I said, bringing down the tree was way more amusing than the garage sale.

Miss Tiger Woods

2008-05-09T07:21:00.001-07:00

Yeah... I've been golfing. I decided since Jordan is playing in a slow pitch softball league with me I should take on a sport he likes. Why I picked golf is beyond me. Well, I golfed yesterday for the first time ever. Jordan took his clubs and let me borrow his sister's (I guess because we're the same height?). The best way I can describe the feeling of a golf swing is something like this: a fluid motion that is the exact opposite of the softball swing ingrained in me. Everything about golf feels unnatural and awkward. Now that I've perfected my softball swing I'm working against everything I've ever been taught to get rid of it. Keep my left arm straight, bend my wrists, open and close my hands, don't step with my front foot, bend over at the waist, keep my front shoulder higher than my back shoulder, turn my wrists over to close the swing... seriously?! It was hard. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel hopeless. Towards the end, however, I started to remember the things I was supposed to focus on and it felt a little better. This weekend we're going fishing... I can't wait. But we're also going to golf again. Does anyone else think that if we're going golf so much we should play softball more than one night a week, too?

By Special Request...

2008-04-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

... I'm going to update. I've been asked a few times now so I think I finally have an appropriate topic. After all of the softball/baseball posts I think I can put in my two cents and post about my first slowpitch game of the season. That's right, Joni is back on the field. This summer I'm on a co-ed slowpitch team for Jordan's company. We had a night game tonight, under the lights. It was fun to say the least. I didn't really shine tonight but hopefully it isn't a foreshadowing on the rest of my season. My at bats went something like: KO, ground out to the pitcher, walk, and 1B on an error. Defensively, I played short the entire game up until the last inning and I asked to be put at 2nd (the guy who was there usually plays short stop anyway). We ended up losing the game in the last inning 16-17. It was close the entire time but we couldn't hold them. They had some really good hitters. Someone on our team even nicknamed one of their players the "she-man". Overall it was fun. Jordan's quite disappointed in himself/the game but I'm happy I'm playing at all. We'll be playing every Tuesday night so look forward to updates on it I guess.

By the way, my computer needs repairing so I'll be online sparingly, sorry. Until next time though, take care and enjoy the lack of snow.

P.S.
Jordan and I are going to rock the Key Lime pie contest.

OSH Continued...

2008-04-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

First here's a translation:

Next the pile driver:

And finally one for people who don't want to see the painful stuff:

OSH 300

2008-04-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm really loving my Occupational Safety and Health Management class. Thursday we learned the wrong way to operate a forklift. We watched this short clip from Steplerfahrer Klaus that was a "forklift training video." Enjoy!

Warning: Pregnant women, young children, and those with a weak stomach should not watch this video. Do not try this at home.

Summertime.

2008-04-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's almost time for summer... and slowpitch? I might be on a slowpitch team this summer if I stay in the area. The last time I played any kind of softball game I hyper extended my knee. Plus, that last game was a slowpitch game. So I decided to work on knee strength today.

I started with a kind of improv grapevine move and finished it faster than I started. I was feeling pretty winded. Then I switched legs. After two rounds of barely moving I was breathing heavily and laying on my bed. I reluctantly got back up and tried an old volleyball drill where we squat down, touch the floor, jump up and reach our hands up as high as we could. Ah, there was the weakness in my knee I was looking for. I could tell I was favoring my right knee (the one that didn't get hurt). So after jumping 10 times I was dying and out of breath. I took a short break (less than a minute) and drank some water to help quench myself. Next I tried non weighted squats, just three sets of 10. And then I did some physical therapy moves I remembered from a softball practice when Shannon's PT came in and worked us out.

My leg was shaking way more than I expected, definitely weak from babying it. After 7 minutes of barely working out I it is extremely safe to say I am out of shape. I'm going to have to work out a little more than 7 minutes if I want to finish the entire season this summer.

Ice Cream Season?

2008-03-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

I think since it's warm enough to rain it's warm enough for ice cream. Last night Jordan and I stood in the freezer aisle at Family Fare looking at the Ben & Jerry's when I saw it. Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream ice cream. One pint of vanilla ice cream with fudge covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl. Delicious. The description says:

"Nation! Have a cold, bold, caramel-swirled, fudgecoveredwaffle-cone-loaded spoonful of Truth: This is Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream! Sweeter than the Bill of Rights, colder than Valley Forge & with twice as much caramel as the Louisiana Purchase. This is the only ice cream with an official thumbs-up from America's greates news corres-pundit. Please enjoy... or go On Notice! For more information on Stephen Colbert & The Colbert Report log on to www.colbernation.com."

What a joy.

Island Teriyaki Pork Chops.

2008-03-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

I've bookmarked a few recipes in the cookbook I got at Christmas and as the title says, Island Teriyaki Marinade was one of them. Tonight I made it a goal to finally put the ingredients to use. I bought them all about two months ago and they've just been waiting. So how did they turn out?

First I had to call dad. Does garlic go bad? Can you omit ginger? (I actually ended up having the ginger root but it was moldy) How long do you cook the pork chops? Can you do it if they're still very frozen? As you can see... my dad is my cookbook.

It was a long ordeal trying to cook them just right. I learned a thermometer would have been handy (my birthday is in June). Finally, after nuking them, they were ready to eat. Doesn't sound much like dad's posts does it?

They were good; juicy, a hint of soy sauce, delicious. Of course I have my "next time I think I'll do" changes but all in all, very tasty. They passed Jordan's taste test (which hasn't been hard to do so far, Emeril does the job well).

Even though I did it all wrong, the recipe made a tasty nuked chop. Here it is for the masses:

1/2 cup (125ml) low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup (60ml) packed brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons (23ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15ml) grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon (1ml) pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

... I just realized I forgot the pepper.

"You can use this marinade for meats, fish, vegetables, and just about anything else you can thing of. Depending on the thickness of the food, you'll want to marinate for at least one or two hours before cooking. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. This recipe will keep for 3-4 weeks if kept covered in the refrigerator. Makes 4 servings."

(Yeah... it's like cooking for dummies).

That's My Favorite Movie

2008-03-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how many people know this but there are a few lines in Austin Powers 2 that go, "Alright, I'm gonna go watch a mooovie. Hey, In Like Flint, that's my favorite mooovie!" Every time Jordan or I say we're gonna go watch a movie we quote these two lines, not knowing what they mean. Well, last week I went through a Google phase and googled everything I could get my mind on. It turns out, In Like Flint was a sequal to a spoof that used the same cliche jokes as the first spoof, much like Austin Powers. It was also about trying to sabotage an evil genius' plan for world domination. Actually, exactly like Austin Powers. Jordan and I laughed hysterically once we realized what the joke actually was. I figured I would try to enlighten my audience about this line because they actually stand out in the movie without knowing the joke behind them. Here's a link and a clip from In Like Flint since I couldn't find the Austin Powers clip. Enjoy and good night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Like_Flint

Today's Productivity.

2008-03-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a few weeks I feel like I have the time to write a blog. Mondays I usually have this problem with too much time on my hands so I try to find something to do (other than watching tv). So here's the rundown on today.

Before my 8:00am class I put on my nice black pants, a nice sweater, and some nice black shoes. Today was speech day. I left my apartment about half an hour earlier than I usually do so I could go to the computer lab and print out my outline, print some handouts, and save my powerpoint to my school network. I went to Spanish, was a nervous wreck the whole time like I usually am. Then went to my Communications class and dominated, resulting in a B+.

When I came home I layed out on my bed, answered a phone call from Jordan's mom, and then talked to Annie for a little while. I did my usual, "My room is such a mess. Today is going to be the day I clean it." complaint. Well, today I cleaned it. Not only that but I also rearranged it. I did a full room makeover. So I feel 1. Productive 2. Refreshed and 3. Ready to start a new week... sort of. After I finished rearranging I kind of lounged in my newly made bed. I can't resist falling into my sea of pillows. They engulf me in my sweats and tee shirt and I'm knocked out for a day.

So, as productive as this afternoon was, I really didn't do anything to further my education or well-being. Something random: I received two Easter baskets, 5 bags of candy, and a couple other Easter candies. I haven't gotten this much Easter candy since I was 17. I've also come to like the black jelly beans... take that, dad.

Miss Webster.

2008-03-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

Awkward: [awk-ward]

–adjective

1.	lacking skill or dexterity; clumsy.

2.	lacking grace or ease in movement: an awkward gesture; an awkward dancer.

3.	lacking social graces or manners: a simple, awkward frontiersman.

4.	not well planned or designed for easy or effective use: an awkward instrument; an awkward method.

5.	requiring caution; somewhat hazardous; dangerous: an awkward turn in the road.

6.	hard to deal with; difficult; requiring skill, tact, or the like: an awkward situation; an awkward customer.

7.	embarrassing or inconvenient; caused by lack of social grace: an awkward moment

8.	Obsolete. untoward; perverse.

This describes my Easter. Jordan's mom invited me to Easter dinner a few weeks ago and I said, "Sure." figuring it wouldn't be bad. Well, let me tell you, Jordan wasn't there. That's right, he had to work all day in Fort Wayne. So today, Easter Sunday, I met about half of Jordan's extended family by myself. Please... feel bad for me.

Wanna See Me Fishtail?

2008-03-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite moments in life are the ones you don't expect. I'm sure it is the same with others. I love hearing stories from my elders that have an age limit. They usually start out something like, "I think you're old enough for me to tell you the story." Well, here it is. I think Michael and I are old enough that I can tell this story now.

It was a sunny weekend afternoon, we think it was a Saturday. It was a day we were babysitting K, A, and L. The afternoon started out as original as it could have possibly been. The girls wanted to have chicken strips for lunch, yum. I believe it was Uncle M that was home with us, cooking the food, but I may be wrong. As time went on we realized there was no ketchup and it'd be nice to have some with lunch. So Mickey and I set out on our adventure with one goal: to retrieve the ketchup.

The local grocery store seemed to be the best choice as it was closer than any other store and had a wide enough variety to include ketchup. I wish choosing a grocery store was the biggest of our problems that day but it wasn't. We left the store, ketchup in hand, and got in the car to return for lunch. This is where our afternoon took a turn for the worst.

"Let's drive down Wienert Road." I suggested. We weren't in a hurry, I'm sure Mickey didn't pay for his own gas at the time, and we were in the mood for a random, completely innocent, detour. Being the invicible, reckless teenagers we were, Mickey had an idea.

"Wanna see me fishtail?" He asked.

"No." I replied without even considering it. He fishtailed anyway. At this point in the story the opinions are split. First I will tell you Mickey's version: After intentionally fishtailing he hit some loose gravel and the car, on its own, fishtailed to the side of the road where it was stuck in about 6 inches of loose gravel. My version: Mickey intentionally fishtailed against my will and landed us in about 6 inches of loose gravel. I will leave it up to you to decide who has the better memory.

So here we are, stuck on the side of Wienert road, between Johnny's house and Coleman Road. Flashbacks of the time we got the Mule stuck ran through my head as Mickey went into a panic. Relaxed, I suggested the old "dig out the tires and shove sticks underneath" trick. No luck. Two teens trying to push a boat of a nineteen ninety something Mercury Cougar out of quicksand in the middle of the country is a frightening thought to me now. Apparently it was also frightening for an aged, overweight, toothless man passing by. His rusted car slowed as we dreaded what was about to happen. The car came to a stop on the side of the road, right in front of us. He came out and my mind raced as I saw a tangible Jeff Foxworthy joke right in front of me. As he asked if we needed help we had a hard time replying, "Yes." He must have gotten part of the message because he proceeded to help us out of the loose gravel. We got back into the car, safe, and on the way to lunch once again with our ketchup and a vow to reveal the story "at the right time."

It is safe to say I've consulted with Mickey on this and he agreed that we are both old enough to disclose this story. You might be wondering what happened when we finally returned with the condiment in hand. When asked, "What took so long?" we simply answered a generic answer that neither of us could recall. I'm sure there are some misalignments with the real happenings due to the fact that it's been about 4 or 5 years since it happened but somewhere Mrs. Grabmeyer might have it on a VHS tape. The next week in school we both used it as our speech in Speech class. Finally, don't worry, there aren't more where this came from.

I Feel Compelled to Share This

2008-03-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I made a slideshow of all these pictures John and I took during one of my breaks last year. I know he isn't under 3 years of age but it's a start on acknowledging him as part of the family. I could have shown pictures of him when he was younger but I don't have them on my computer anymore and don't have access to them (they're in Coleman).

Home, Safe.

2008-03-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi family and friends. I know it's been about a week since I've posted. First, an update: Florida was just okay. I didn't think it was anything special as a state, much like Michigan in the summer with a few extra palm trees and an aged population. I got an A- on my Haight & Ashbury speech and was 3 seconds away from the perfect time. I was excited about that.

I haven't had much time to write and I apologize. I'm still reading what's happening in your lives but haven't had the chance to sit down and devote some time to writing another blog. I have a good one in the making and Michael already knows about it, I'm just not in the mood tonight.

Other than small talk stuff, here's a blatantly honest question: When is the right time to mature? I know there has to be at least one family member out there who has been "young and stupid." Unfortunately even thought I've been young for a while, I've never really been very stupid. I am dating someone "young and stupid" though and I've just been thinking... will he ever grow up? And when will he be the age when it isn't okay anymore? Maybe it's an inappropriate question but just wondering... when did you reach that point in your life when you decided it's time to start being responsible?

Road Trippin' With My Friends.

2008-03-04T05:04:00.000-08:00

What's in a road trip? It's something I've wanted to do since my sophomore year in high school. Something about cramming in a car with twizzlers, a tank of gas, and $20 in your pocket appeals to me. The reality of it is much different, however. I can tell you all some key lessons I've learned along with a few great stories I can share. Plus, I promised to update if I could and I found a very weak wireless signal on the porch. So.... here it goes, the best I can.

Michigan, 12:00AM Sunday morning. Our ride still hadn't shown up. The other couple were fighting over stupid things (an ex visited one of the two at work). Right away the trip was almost called off. I'm in Florida though, so obviously it didn't stop us from going. We actually got picked up around 12:30 and we were on our way out of the state, finally, shortly after 1:00AM.

I decided to sleep right away, crammed in the back with two other people while occasionally someone would roll a window down to have a cigarette. By the way, I have never been so happy in my life that I don't smoke after seeing the things these people have to worry about (cancer, where's my lighter? does that store sell Marlboro's? Don't go in the water with the cigarettes, etc.). No, thank you. So... I missed all of Michigan and a lot of Indiana, too.

Kentucky wasn't special. We didn't even stop at a KFC until we hit Georgia. Tennessee wasn't thrilling either. The worst state was Georgia because it took all day to get through it and it had nothing to offer. I even made a comparison to Ohio at one point.

Florida as a state is nothing special. My heart is in the rolling, mountainous hills and valleys of California. The landscape here doesn't even compare. It's much like Michigan with an extra palm tree here or there. No redwoods, strawberry feilds, or winding highways here. But I'm happy.

So you're probably wondering about those lessons, right? Lesson one: Know the people you're going with. I happen to be stuck in a car with two drama queens and two people that talk and stress out about directions way too much. 20+ hours with a few people that are annoying yields a short temper.

This brings me to lesson two: You better be able to sleep in a car. Sleeping is your only escape from the enclosed environment of people complaining, knowing the right way to go, and fighting. If I didn't sleep I would have been clinically insane halfway through Michigan.

Now that I've been here for a day, things are pretty good. Yesterday was the first time we went anywhere. We went into Clearwater to the beach and I spent the whole day there. Jordan and his friend, Joe, however spent theirs at the Tiki bar, giving the rest of us a mess to take care of later. He danced with an aged, overweight lady named Shelly while Joe hit on her friend (who was married and had four children). This is the point in which we found the two. We had a good laugh over it.

It's morning on our second day here. Jordan bought everything for breakfast last night (eggs, sausage, orange juice, cheese, mushrooms, peppers, muffins, you name it he bought it) along with 10-15 Chef Boyardee meals.

(Sigh) It's day two and Wisconsin or Michigan sounds pretty good. I should get paid for the amount of babysitting I'm doing here. There are three good things though; beaches, sunshine, and palm trees. I love beaches... and saltwater.

To try to sum up everything, it's warm and I always forget how much I love sunshine and being outside in the fresh air during the snowy winters at home. Next time I post, I'll try to include a few pictures of the place I'm staying, it's a really nice house (the neighborhood doesn't really fit, a bit trashy). Until next time... I'll be enjoying the sunshine, enjoy your day, too.

Peace.

2008-03-01T19:56:00.000-08:00

I'm on my way to Florida. Luckily my dad taught me how to survive in a crowded car for hours on end; twizzlers, Aquifina, and no peeing. I'm going to be the MVP of road tripping. I'll make you proud, dad. Thanks for the solid foundation in car-riding. I'm going to resort to some of my old ways of passing time (the alphabet game). I am also equipped with a good read, East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I'll post an update eventually when I get there but don't be surprised if a) I don't have an internet connection and/or b) I'm too distracted by warm weather and sunshine to thing about my blog. I love you all, readers... enjoy the first week of March!

This is an old post from my myspace but I'd like to carry it into my blog.

2008-03-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

What did I do today? I learned I want to learn Axl's moves, tease my hair, and make a music video...

I also learned Axl was extremely good lookin' so if you have his number, don't be shy!

The Results:

I Guess It's Genetic

2008-02-27T16:10:00.000-08:00

I want to start by justifying myself creating and account and posting a blog. As obvious as it might already be, my dad insists I make an account. Even though I was somewhat reluctant to make the account so far I haven't regretted making one. Who knows, maybe, just maybe dad will even keep me informed on what he is doing. But I doubt it.

So now I decide what to post. I think I'll take a ride on the bandwagon and state that I, too have nothing interesting to say. However, I can at least write about what is on my mind just like anyone else. So here it is.

FLORIDAAAAAA!

Call me grandma but I can't wait to go to Florida. Maybe it's because I scored a boyfriend that wants me to go so bad he's paying. Or maybe it's because it's going to be 80 degrees and sunshiny all day long. Or it might also be because I don't have to lift a finger the entire time I'm there... school and work will be left about 7 states North of where I'll be. I'm sure you're wondering where I'll be, what we'll be doing. Well so do I. Since I'm not paying for anything I really don't know much about our trip except that our rental house has a hot tub in the yard (I learned that last night). The point of me writing all of this isn't to provoke jealousy although I'm sure I succeeded in doing so, it is strictly to inform the world (and my dad) about what is happening in my life.

So, now that I've talked about the exciting news in my life, the reality is this week and last has been midterms and I have to return to studying. Also, here is something for the aunts and father in the blog world. I think for my informative speech due the Monday after spring break I'm going to inform the class of Haight and Ashbury (the street corner). Wish me luck... it's a little before my time. Thanks.

Next time something sparks my mind I'll be sure to blog it down. Sorry for the significant waste of time this one might have been for you. =)