Hey ASL Friends!

The "8" Tag

I did this tag a few months ago but it was before Hannah (the one who tagged me) started blogging, so here goes my second attempt.  I wrote this one and then looked at my previous answers and I have to say, I'm fairly consistent.  The only big difference is that I'm now obsessed with Food Network and rarely watched it before.

Eight Things to Which I Am Looking Forward:

1. Knowing my plans for the Fall
2. Church tomorrow
3. June 15th (go Taylor!!!!)
4. My cruise with Jerilyn
5. The Harry Potter movie in July
6. The next time a boy considers holding my hand
7. Possible CA road trip with Eliza
8. Finishing my anthropology class

Eight Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Woke up late
2. Got to class late
3. Watched more of "Water", the awesome Indian flick we're watching in class
4. Saw "Up" with Maria and Eliza
5. Bought 2 dresses, 1 shirt and 1 skirt
6. Blogged
7. Took a nap at 7pm, woke up at 10:30pm
8. Finished "The Alchemist"

Eight Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Be a good singer
2. Be a good dancer
3. Convince every hearing parent of a deaf child that ASL is the first and best way to go in 99% of all cases
4. Not be afraid of change
5. Sew
6. Speak more languages
7. Cook like they do on "Iron Chef"
8. Be more confident

Eight TV Shows I Watch:

1. The Office
2. 30 Rock
3. So You Think You Can Dance
4. The Bachelorette
5. Chopped
6. Scrubs
7. The Soup
8. Glee

The End. Now you know everything about me.

Happy Belly

I just found out that there is a Rubio's 15 minutes from my house! I have not been to one since I moved to Utah almost two years ago, until last night that is.  Oh boy, did I stuff my belly! 

 I would go fairly regularly when living in San Diego because it is delicious! The very first Rubio's is in San Diego and only about 5 minutes from where I went to high school, church and work for 3 years.

It is Baja Mexican food, not the authentic Mexican that I constantly crave and can't find anywhere in Utah. For now, Baja Mexican is good enough for me!  The best thing about all this is Taco Tuesdays are back on! I spent many Tuesdays eating $1 fish tacos at a Rubio's with good friends in San Diego. They have (almost) the same deal here, it's $1.25 though.

What a great way to start the weekend!

"Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress."

- Alfred A. Montapert

SYTYCD Rundown

What's with - 

• the creepy brother and sister pair who couldn't dance but could hold hands?
• the girl who did the contemporary dance about her feelings about being Jewish?
• the INCREDIBLE 17 year old boy who got an automatic pass to next year's Vegas semi-finals?!?!  I love!
• the other creepy brother and sister pair who rolled around on the floor together?  They were far too intimate for my liking.
• Mary Murphy not being very crazy this episode?  No fun.
• the big Asian boy that danced en pointe?  (danced on his toes whilst wearing pointe shoes)
• Shakiro?  Yes, Shakiro.  A big, lumberjack looking boy who claimed to be able to shake his hips like Shakira.  He is mistaken.
• Seattle having really awful dancers?
• my insatiable urge to become a contemporary dancer?
• "Sex" is back...in a big way.  (this is not a vulgar post, it is a guy who tries out every season and has nicknamed himself "Sex" when his real name is David)  A direct quote, "I am a dancer, it's what I do".  He is absolutely awful.  Absolutely.

Next week - on to Vegas (happy sigh)

I LOVE THIS SHOW.

Spammed

I got this in my inbox on Tuesday. I do want to be dating someone......


Hello!

My name is Matse Mandisi from Sierra Leone in west africa,I am 5.8ft tall,dark in complexion,(never married before )and presently I am residing now in Dakar-Senegal.
I saw your profile and I think I like you and I like to explore new thing.I am emotional and spiritual,show affection,be caring,loving.I am hardworking,I have good sense of humour.I am passionate,I show affection in public and private,I like the outdoors alot.I like going to beach during summer,karaoke,cooking,
camping,watching movies,travelling.Pls darling I am very interested to meet you and have you as my loved one so far we are compatible.If you are interested in me you can write me through my email address: mandisimatse@yahoo.com. We can study ourselfs very well and I know we will make a wonderful home.I will stop here and wait to hear from you.
lots of love.

Matse.

I'm a bit confused as to which profile he is talking about.  But, on the upside...he likes me!  He is willing to study himself with me and set up a wonderful home.  Where is the downside to this?!?!

Shiny Lips

I have 4 of these open right now and I rotate them in between purses and my backpack. I also buy it whenever it's on sale...I have 4 or 5 unopened ready to moisten and add shine to my lips. I am an addict. This stuff is truly amazing! 

Get Out and Vote!

My friend, Rachel, has been nominated for a dating game courtesy of the blog Seriously So Blessed.  Check out her blog here and vote for her here.  She is awesome!  If you vote for her for no other reason than because her name is also Rachel, then you have done your job!  But you should vote for her because she's an elementary school teacher, a world traveler, a cereal lover and just a plain ole good person.  Let's get this girl a date!!!!

Wishin'

Sigh.  I wish.

I was just with the fam last week and I get to spend this lovely long weekend with them again!  Sans the delicious babes unfortunately.  Regardless, I am super excited to be with the fam, they complete me.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and remember what it's all about!  I'm grateful for all our past and present veterans (my dad and grandpas included) who sacrificed in ways I can't even imagine.  Please make sure to take the time to thank a veteran and reflect on the point of this federally sanctioned holiday.  I know we can't all be as dedicated as this guy (I wouldn't want to shave off my eyebrows either!) but we all can express our gratitude for a job well done.

Best Week Ever!

I know life is not supposed to revolve around TV but....it makes me very happy at the moment!

This week saw the beginning of The Bachelorette, with Jillian handing out roses....

And So You Think You Can Dance...

With one crazy "dancer" using plastic light sabers as props. Seriously, she dressed like a cat and danced with one pink, one blue light saber.

Ahh...it's going to be a great summer!

PS - Please meet my new favorite judge/choreographer, Sonya Tayeh!

Why I Love Summer

I love, love, love the summer because all the blockbuster movies come out! Here are some of the ones I'm most excited for. Please let me know if you want to go see any with me!

I loved the first one and I'm stoked for the action of Transformers 2.  I like that it mixes action and comedy....and Shia LeBeouf is just so dang cute!

The only Pixar movie I haven't liked was "Cars" so I fully expect "UP" to satisfy and entertain. 

I'm actually going to see this with my family this weekend because my mom L-O-V-E-D the first one and this one looks just as appealing. I guess I'll be letting you know on Monday or Tuesday.

Ahhh, saved the best for last. I am so excited for Harry's return to the big screen! We have waited 2 years for this and I'm pretty sure it won't disappoint. I might just have to see this in the midnight showing!

I wish I could have seen this one!

Click to enlarge

Tom's Shoes

I want some shoes by Tom's Shoes. They are an internet based company and for every shoe that they sell, they give away a pair to a child in need. They are cute and from what I hear, very comfy. They are a bit expensive, but I have read a lot about this company and I am really impressed with their philanthropic work. Now I just need to figure out what color I want!

Super Fast Taylor

This is my cool brother Taylor. He is now the third fastest 300 meter hurdler in the entire state of Utah. Did I mention this past weekend he also broke his school record?  It was a fantastic way to end his high school track career.  His time was 39.17 seconds and was less than 0.5 seconds behind the winner.

We all had a blast cheering him on! We couldn't be prouder.  Did I mention he has never had any coaching?  Seriously!  All the other kids he ran against have coaches specifically for hurdling and my brother's school doesn't, so his success is 100% self achieved!

Go Taylor!

This is how we show it. The talented kid makes us so proud we all turn into big babies. 

(This is my older sister, Elisabeth, by the way)

Congratulations Taylor!  Onward and upward from here!  I love you!

"to do is to be" - nietzsche

"to be is to do" - kant

"do be do be do" - sinatra

only your song matters in the end

taken from PostSecret

Currently Loving

This line is by Orla Kiely and available at Target. I don't need them but....how cute are they?!?! I think I can justify this somehow. I really love the blue ones, check out target.com for additional styles and accessories. 

If I get the dinnerware I have to get the canisters! The small is grey, the medium is orange and the large is green. How cute would these guys be on my kitchen counter!!!

Adventures in Photoshopping

A few weeks ago I contacted an incredibly beautiful, talented, articulate and fashionable young photographer to inquire about a session.  She is a friend of Kat's and I honestly admit, I found her photography blog the good old fashioned way - stalking.  But now we're Facebook friends so I don't have to stalk anymore ;)

I had had a pretty tough semester and thought a photo session could be a fun way to end the term and give me that pick-me-up I was looking for.  

Today was the day and here is a sneak peak of what we did.  It was a blast and a half!  She is incredible to work with and so creative!  We had such a good time and are already looking at schedules to get a session for Kat set up.  Please go to her website for other work she has done and to inquire about your own session.

Be looking at Kat's blog for her recount of her experience as the photographer's assistant.  Here's a preview...she loved it!  

Thanks again Ashley!  You're fantastic!  

Shanna: Pros and Cons

Pros

• She has never, ever taken a bad photo
  
• She's an excellent wife and mommy
  
• The first day I met her, I wanted more
  
• She is always complimentary
  
• She has such a strong testimony and is awesome about sharing it
  
• She always has the best advice, but isn't annoying about doling it out
  

Cons

• She just might be funnier than me
  
• I don't see her nearly enough
  
• She's definitely the Sign Song Queen, going so far as to incorporate karate into her last one
  
• She still gets embarrassed about that one day in my car after softball and that one time by her car after the movie (if you want to know, you have to ask her)
  
• She is a far superior softball player
  
• She was already married and had her daughter just a few months after we met so....we never got to be single gal roommates!
  

Love you Shanna!  Thanks for being you!

Please Don't Be Rated R

I'm so ready for this movie!  It even stars Zooey! Woo hoo!

Sometimes I Wish I Was...

More motivated

Smarter

Quirky

(this is Zooey Deschanel...love her!)

A good singer

In a movie

On "Ace of Cakes" on TLC

Someone's better half

My lovely friend, Danica, started this tag and I think it's a lot of fun! I'm not wasting all my time wishing my life away on things I am not or don't have, but it's still kind of fun to do. Luckily, I'm pretty happy being me! 

Golden Spike Day

Other than being Mother's Day, it is also Golden Spike Day!  Back in 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was completed here in good ol' Utah.  The railroad was built from the ends to the center and they met up in Promontory, Utah. Fun Fact - the railroad was only used for about 35 years before a better, faster route was discovered and erected. Since it fell out of favor and use, no major population has called Promontory their home. 

I went there a few years ago and I remember it being very dusty and hot. We saw the golden spike, which was the ceremonial final spike to be driven in to the tracks. The above picture is from the last day, 140 years ago. Three cheers for history!

This is for all you moms out there. Have a wonderful Mother's Day! We couldn't do it without you!

Photo courtesy of CakeWrecks

"It is one of my sources of happiness never to desire a knowledge of other people's business."

- Dolley Madison

Well, I guess Dolley was never a Sign Language interpreter!

Friends

I'm having some issues in the friend department lately. It is an odd thing for me because both these friends have been close to me for a long time. It's not something that is seriously wearing on me, I just don't know what to do. Here are my issues:

-One friend basically does not seem to be considerate of me at all. Any opportunity this friend gets to sell me out, he/she seems to take it lately. I have been hurt by this friend several times in the recent months and each time has been because this friend has never thought how his/her actions or words might impact me.

-The other friend has a lot going on in his/her life and I am thrilled, but this friend keeps throwing things that aren't going well for me in my face. I feel like this friend tries to maintain some sort of power over me, rather than a equal friendship. I don't get it.

I wish I could say that I'm going to confront them, but I'm not. Luckily, I'm to the point in my life that I don't really care anymore. Yes, friends are very important to me, but it's easy for me to kick them out of my life because I don't need the hassle!

Lately

Lately I've been thinking that I don't want kids.  It is rare that I see happy families out and about. I'm sure the mom and dad started out happily married, but it seems when you add kids to the equation, they develop a roommate type of relationship.  I'm sure the mom used to be cute but having kid after kid has not been good to her waistline or sanity.

Doesn't sound too appealing to me!  Luckily it's not an issue at the moment.

photo courtesy of flickr

So Close

This semester is over! It was truly the hardest semester of my life and I am still exhausted from the recent home stretch (finals week). I have one class left to graduate and I'm taking it starting on Wednesday. Luckily, I get to take it with Kat, which I could not be more delighted about. The class is a cultural elective and it's called "The People and Culture of India". I fear it will give me the itch to go see it in person!

Now....on to grad school?  We'll see!

I Have Always Wondered....

...what being in love feels like. It seems like a good, nice thing in movies but I really have no idea.

(Please do not put your personal love story in my comments section. Your descriptions can do nothing to help my understanding. Thank you.)