Where I Lay My Head

I have lived with my brother and sister in law for 2 years, 2 months, and 26 days.

wow.

You know? Before I moved to Alaska, I wasn’t really known for my residence longevity.

I lived with my parents for 7 months.
I lived with Ana for 9 months.
I lived with the Rollerson’s for 4 months.
I lived with the Cheryti et al. for 6 months.
I lived with Jenny for 2 months.
I lived in downtown Dallas for 5 months.
I lived in north Dallas for 6 months.
I lived in Duncanville for 3 months.

But here I am, still living with my family and no (immediate) plans of moving out. In fact, I think I’ve got it pretty great. Early last year my brother had to go to pilot training, and while he’s been gone I’ve been getting to know his wife and two daughters. And the fact that they haven’t kicked me out yet is kind of astonishing. We’re not even blood relatives, my sister in law and me… But she’s my friend. And she is one of the most giving persons I have ever known.

I have a great family. I’m lucky I get to be so close to them right now…

Jeremy? We miss you…

Writing A Research Paper

I Could Probably Blog More Often…

…if I didn’t have a crap load of homework to do all the time.

hmph.

www.pandora.com

By no means am I the first person to discover this online FREE radio station. My friend Sally has been telling me about it for weeks. But what I found out just the other night is that it allows you to listen to music you LIKE. You tell it what you want to hear and it “randomly” picks songs that are similar to what you entered.

So I tested it.

With Bethany Dillon.

Yes, they had actually heard of her. And they have her music! But what would they say is “like” her?? So far: Barlow Girl, Jeremy Camp (I’m not a big fan), and Chris Tomlin. I’ve never listened to Barlow Girl before so I’m excited to hear it. But here’s my thought…

Is that it?? They’re only going to play Christian music because I entered a Christian artist? Shouldn’t there be some way around this? Like, ‘Choose things like this artist, in all different genres’? I couldn’t find out if it would play more because they have a licensing agreement that only allows them to skip a certain number of songs per hour. GENIUS.

If I search for something else I can see what selection I get. My exploration continues…

THOUGHTS???

The WB Used To Do It Up Right

A few years back Tuesdays were my day. I’d go to work, head off to class, and come home late. Doesn’t sound like fun to you? Well…. after 8 is when the real fun begins, people.

TUESDAY NIGHT MOVIE NIGHT.

Every Tuesday night my roommate Ana and I would convene at 9 pm for the most fun you’d ever have on weeknight. Are you ready for this? I used to record, ON A VCR, back to back episodes of Gilmore Girls…

…and One Tree Hill.

You have never seen so much teenage angst and drama!
Some highlights from Tuesday Night Movie Night:
- embarrassing and awkward teen moments were cause for hiding in our hoodies
- random friends and neighbors would join in the fun, always without regret
- Tuesday Night Movie Night was a perfect excuse for chocolate chip cookies
- Quality roommate hang out time? Priceless.

I can’t explain the good fun surrounding my memories of Tuesday Night Movie Night. It was more than just TV. In fact, Tuesday Night Movie Night turned TV into quality relationship building experiences. And we were invested in those characters, let me tell you. I’d give my right kidney for Rory Gilmore if she asked. Maybe not for Mouth McFadden. But for Rory? YES.

The glory days are simply over. And here’s why:
- the WB changed its name to the CW. seems like kind of a waste of letter rearranging, if you ask me.
- Gilmore Girls no longer exists in the world of new television.
- Ana and I are no longer roommates – which is good, I guess, since she’s married now.

But we will always have Tuesday Night Movie Night.
And I still have One Tree Hill, Tuesdays at 8 on the *new* CW.

It’s simple, really….

One year for Christmas I asked for a special present. I was only 17, and I was naive, but I asked. A year’s subscription to Martha Stewart Living. And I got it.

For 12 months straight I received a copy of the magazine in the mail. And when it came I marveled at the colors and the pictures and the ideas and the organization and the perfection it offered.

Clearly, Martha Stewart was not perfect. And the wonder has been lost from her still prominent (!) magazine. But I’ve found a new perfection to replace it with:

No, I don’t have a subscription. But the beauty of the magazine is the false reality it allows me to escape to. Where I know I’ll be more organized and fiscally responsible. And I’ll make the sweetest meals you ever tasted and I’ll find the best buys and be the most rested and beautiful I’ve ever been. I will.

Or. I’ll spend an hour reading my magazine. And that will have been good enough for today.

10 Ten Reasons I Should Call In Sick Tomorrow

10. I made cookies tonight and the cookie dough was yummy

9. I ate a lot of cookie dough

8. I might have eaten too much cookie dough

7. I really ate way too much cookie dough

6. My stomach hurts bad cause I ate too much cookie dough

5. I was gonna bake the cookies, but I ate too much dough

4. I finally baked a couple cookies but couldn’t eat them

3. Because I ate too much cookie dough

2. I might actually vomit from all that cookie dough

And the number 1 reason I should call in sick?

1. I don’t want to have to share my cookies (dough)

I’m Obsessed

With potstickers. They’re so good. Seriously, I could eat them every day. And Chicken Lettuce Wraps are especially good as well.

snap. What I wouldn’t do for a P.F. Chang’s in Anchorage….. 
Call me if you want to franchise.

If You Write It, They Will Come

I have noticed that blog stats are directly proportionate to the amount of blogging I do. So in essence, the blog stats are not defining anything more than I already know: “I blogged more often.”

For instance, by virtue of having written this blog people will read it and thus I’ll have achieved my goal of “more visitors” to my blog. Which in turn will make me think, “There are people out there just DYING to read what I’ve got to say.” So I blog more often, increasing my blog stats and therefore perpetuating the cycle. And I think I’ve really accomplished something.

But shouldn’t writing just be for the sake of writing? Who cares if anyone reads it, right? But if nobody’s gonna read it – why write it?

It’s a little bit like music. Do I make music because it’s a passion or do I make music so that people will hear it? Or more importantly, want to listen to it….

And love. Do I give love for the sake of giving it – unconditionally? Or do I give it so it will be returned to me?

Those are all different questions, but I think they get at the same idea. I want to be one of those people who GIVES freely, who holds no grudges, who loves unconditionally. I don’t want to sing to receive accolades (at least I don’t want to want to sing to receive accolades) and I don’t want to write a blog simply so I can find satisfaction in my blog stats.

These are not things I can achieve on my own. So I don’t try. But I do ask.

Baby Sittin’

I’m babysitting my nieces today – and it’s going pretty well. But I woke up at about 745, and that was a bummer. Also, the baby needs a diaper change. *ew*

My question? When you’re a parent, how is it possible to do ANYTHING else?? Goodbye hobbies and social life. Goodbye quiet time and movie marathon weekends. Goodbye sleeping in and shopping with ease. For that matter, goodbye money!

This is probably why God made them so cute.