KEANE!

I am going to see one of my favorite and most beloved bands live in May! Keane is coming to town, and Dave and my two sisters are coming to the show, too! I have wanted to see these guys live for years, and I was kinda afraid it would never happen. Total dream come true!

Just thought I'd share :)

Rednecks for a night

On Thursday, Dave called me at work and informed me that he had been given free tickets to see Jeff Foxworthy in SLC on Friday. My reaction was something like "...you mean that redneck guy? Um, okay." Hey, if nothing else it was a free date.

So we did just that--we turned it into a date. We went out to dinner and then drove up to SLC. The event was in an arena (kinda a big venue for a comedian, right?) and we forked over like $6 just to park, but hey, it was a free thing in the first place, right?

So we found our seats (pretty decent ones, actually) and we tried not to stand out as so different amidst the rednecks, cowboys, and hunters that mostly populated the arena. The opening act (for a stand-up comedian...?) was what could only be described as a country boy band. They were okay, I guess. Even though it wasn't our crowd, Dave and I were starting to enjoy things. When Foxworthy came out to wild applause and started telling jokes, though...it was hilarious! I didn't realize this guy was so funny. I don't think you have to be a redneck to appreciate his humor, although admittedly some of the humor was lost on us.

All in all, it was a great evening and we thought it was quite funny.

On My Mind

*So Jessica Simpson gained a few pounds. Why does the media have to act as though the world is ending because her butt is bigger than it once was? I don't understand this obsession. It's like...you've got the magazines and news screaming that this is some kind of sick, awful injustice to humanity. I'm relieved that no one cares about me enough to take pictures of me for a magazine and spread the news that I'm a blimp each time I gain a pound or two.

*I have made it one more year without submitting to the Ugg fashion trend. So many times, I almost bought a pair of knock-offs but in the end I just couldn't do it. Now spring is almost here, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

*I love IKEA. Have I ever mentioned that before?

*I have been walking to school and work in the mornings, and I wonder why I have never thought to do this before. Getting the exercise makes the day go SO MUCH better, and I feel a lift in my mood and performance at school and on the job. Besides, the bus sucks in comparison, and walking gives me a chance to just listen to music and think.

*I am so tired of hearing the neighbors' dogs barking when they go outside to take a pee/crap. And I'm tired of the fact that sometimes the dogs aren't put on a leash, and their owners scream frantically as their pets run toward the road and won't heed the desperate, pleading calls. Seriously, your dog isn't listening to you, and if you don't want then to become a pancake, PLEASE leash them!

*I don't know if it is just people around here or everywhere, but I have noticed that etiquette is mostly non-existent these days. I went to a play at the school where Dave is student teaching, and the families in the audience had zero respect for the performers. Yes, it was a sixth grade play, but the audience could have paid attention. And stopped staring at their cell-phone screens. And taken out their headphones, NOT talked loudly, or yelled and giggled obnoxiously...and held in their gas. Good grief. It was like a zoo.

8 Things

Jamie tagged me, so here we go:

8 TV shows I like to watch:
1. The Simpsons
2. What Not to Wear (too bad I haven't seen it in a loooong time)
3. Seinfeld
4. Red Dwarf
5. Jeopardy!
6. Dr. Who
7. The Office
8. M*A*S*H


8 things that happened yesterday:
1. Watched part of the inauguration.
2. Took the bus to work.
3. Played with the pet rats.
4. Wrote 2 papers for school.
5. Played "Mario Party" with Dave.
6. Ate dinner (sandwiches!)
7. Went to Savers (I love that place)
8. Had S'mores.

8 Favorite places to eat:
1. Cafe Rio
2. Mi Ranchito
3. Olive Garden
4. Old Spaghetti Factory
5. Kneaders
6. Los Hermanos
7. China Bowl
8. Subway

8 things I’m looking forward to:
1. Continuing my work-out routine and seeing results.
2. Spring!
3. Deciding on a career.
4. End of the semester...and it only just started :(
5. Dave starting his career.
6. Finishing my Bachelors degree.
7. Getting a dog.
8. Finally finishing a novel and publishing it!

I tag everyone who is reading this...let me know when you post it in your blog so I can read!

January

I have updated Local Stupidity with a delightful post on local punctuation misuse. Yes, it could even happen in your happy little town.

So, it's January, and we all know what that means: resolutions. I hate New Year's Resolutions. I don't know why I do. I think the problem may be that I know that resolutions made at the start of the new year never work out--at least, not for me. So instead, I've made goals. Plain, simple goals. Yes, I have just changed the word for them, but that's what seems to work for me best. These goals just happened to come to my mind at the start of January, so you could conveniently call them resolutions if you wanted to.

1-Work out at least 2 times a week. This goal sounds small, I know, but it is entirely realistic. I can work out that much, and it's even better if I can manage more (which I may manage some weeks). Recently, with the cold setting in, my work-out amount has plummeted to something like "0 times per week," so this will be wonderful for my health. Slimming down wouldn't hurt a bit either, if you ask me.

2- Stay within a budget each month for personal spending. This won't seem like a problem for most of you, but it certainly is for me. You may be shocked to learn that I love clothes. With the joy I have for shopping, this is a mandatory goal if I ever want to save money ever again in my life.

3-Spend at least 15 minutes each day for recreational reading or writing. No matter the amount of school, homework or work I might have for the day, I am forcing myself to either read or write something for fun every day. This goal should keep me from going insane, with the added benefit of getting more reading and writing done that have nothing to do with school or work.

So here's to the new year! I hope it is great for everyone, and that you are able to meet all of your goals (or resolutions) for 2009.

Merry Christmas to All

Our Christmas was fantastic! This is my favorite time of year because of all the time that I get to spend with family and friends. Dave and I were able to enjoy time with both of our families, and it was a great holiday indeed!

The tree

It just wouldn't be Christmas with my family unless something like this happened...

The stockings were hung by the...um, kitchen table with care.

Opening a present!

A gift from my sister to Dave.

My parents, opening a painting that I made for them.

Dave's new friend, Gus.

My little sister made matching scarves for me, my sister, and my mom. Here we are, posing with them on!

Hope you had a lovely Christmas this year!

On the 28th, Dave and I celebrated our anniversary. It has already been three years since we tied the knot, and there is no doubt that this year has been the best of our marriage yet! We have grown so much together and love one another so much.

To celebrate our big day, we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden. Italian food is kind of a tradition for us, since that is what we had to celebrate on our honeymoon (before we both got really sick with the flu--no relation). It was beyond the boundaries of scrumptious! After, we spent the evening in SLC.

Have a happy New Year!

On My Mind

Playlist Pick:

Allemande by Keane

~I am so ready for the semester to end. I say this every semester. Then school starts again, and I'm all excited to start over new. Then, about half way through, things start to drag...and the cycle starts over again. Oh, school...why must you tease me this way?

~On that same note, I'm glad I am finally taking another creative writing class next semester. And adolescent literature should be fun, too!

~I was fortunate enough to get a massage last weekend, and in the midst of it, it hit me: maybe I still DO want to do massage therapy. Maybe.

~I miss being able to WRITE whenever I want to. And no, school papers do not count.

~I take public transportation almost every day. Once in a while, I happen to see this particular bus driver who looks exactly like Santa Claus. Today I saw him again, and I attempted to take a discreet picture of him with my cell phone but the guy kept watching me and I couldn't do it. I don't want to end up on the naughty list!

~I like blog posts like this because they don't have to follow a specific topic, and my mind is wandering too much for a real post.

~Dry cleaners charge too much. Who can afford to pay $12 to wash a jacket on a regular basis? Not me.

~I'm going to work on a paper now.