CHINA!!

In 17 days I will be leaving for China! I will be teaching english to kids with International Language Program. Here's a link to their site for more info www.ilp.org . I'll be there for 4 months!

So, where in China will I be?? well just follow this other link to google maps . For you lazies out there, I will be in Zhongshan (pronounced Jongshon) which is in southern mainland. I tell people its near Hong Kong, but really there is alot of water, and from the map it looks like you have to drive around it.

Just to wrap things up, I'll try to post as much as I can, but cant make any promises. I'm super excited, and nervous, for this cultural experience of a lifetime.

Returned

yah yah, its been awhile. its about midnight and i don't want to go to sleep yet. So, I am back in ABQ, again. and this time for a much longer time period. and just to clarify, cuz everyone is asking me, i was not in school while i was up in utah. just worked alot. and i've decided that the whole experience was a learning one. and something to get out of my system. i'll share some of the things i learned momentarily. Now that i'm back, i'm trying to get back into CNM, but its proving to be a tad difficult. i'll also just started back at the theater. if CNM falls through this summer then i'll probably pick up another job. my savings is shot at the moment and needs some attention. and i'm wanting to go on a mission, so i'll be saving towards that. um, nothing else too exciting to share. just the usual, fixed my car but broke withing 24hrs (ok, maybe a dog helped out with making it undriveable.....ok, maybe i hit the dog, but it came out of no where!!) anyways, here are just a few things that i learned.

- you can survive off of Wendy's double stacks
-having a air freshener in your car that says "This car is protected by the Holy Spirit" with a picture of Jesus on it, does actually protect your car from theft, but not from breaking down.
- food gift cards are the bomb
- if you dont nag your roommates to pay their part of the bills...they wont pay their part of the bills.
- if you cant find any of the dishes, go check Sarah's room...chances are they are somewhere in there.
- pixie sticks have a hang over effect if your not used to downing 12 of them at once.
- nerf guns are fun!
- metal sinks can catch on fire. (leave a comment if you want to see a picture)
- you have to work ALOT to bring home the bacon
- i HATE with an infinite furry, working until 3am thus not going to sleep until 4am.
- i have cold toes.

thats just some. So now i'm content with living at home, and staying for awhile. but i'll probably visit my old roommates in august, maybe. but i do know that i'm being forced to go up for the New Moon movie release. i'll see if that actually happens.

death to dorthy

sorry for not posting any for almost two months, but nothing blog worthy has happened until now. and yah, its about my car. it needed an alignment along with a few other things before getting it re-registered. about 30 minutes later i get a list of things that need to be done before they can even do an alignment. with a total cost of $3500 or so. I called my dad right away to see what to do, and we are still thinking about it. I just want to sell it at this point. that stupid car has caused me so much trouble and stress. I was also planning on taking a quick trip home in two weeks, but now i cant. (i was really looking forward to a Golden Pride breakfast burrito)

Other news: Boston, my roommate's chihuahua was given away to someone who has the time to take car of him. my 20th birthday is in 3 weeks and i dont know what i want to do (suggestions would be nice) and Franz Ferdinand is coming in April and i am soooo going to that.

Bad omen?

Happy New Year! I'm not really superstitious, but I'm worried about how my new year started. i got out of work right at midnight, and was on my way home, when about 3 blocks from work i got pulled over by a police officer for a headlight that was out. (side note: i went around for a few months last year with the same headlight out and expired plates and was never pulled over once) i got let off with a warning, but its still terrifying getting pulled over. Anyways, i hope this isn't a sign for what 2009 will be.

yay for google applications!

here is what i've been up too since the last post, in collage form! i have Picasa on my computer and i was playing around on it.

THE CLUB

Dorthy's new security system.

Why?!

Last Thursday my car (Dorthy) was broken into while i was at work and they swiped my ipod. I was only upset that they got in, the ipod can be replaced later. They somehow messed with the keyhole, but luckily it still works. after so many previous break ins i've had, you can say i'm super paranoid about locking my doors. i get after my friends all the time. Anyways, i didnt bother calling police or going back inside because it was almost 3am (i closed booth that night) and i just wanted to go home.

Now, yesturday morning, i'm going out to my car to go to work and its not there. I'm thinking back on whether its in the other spot and its not cuz sarah's car is there. I hadn't moved it since saturday night. i go back, and wake up raelee and sarah. then i call police, and sarah calls work for me saying i'll be late, and then we go back out to the garage to see if its out there. i'm on the phone with the insurance company when sarah spots it 2 levels below where it was. i call back the police, and they send someone out. Whoever decided to take a joy ride in my car, took my clicker to get in and out of the garage and a pack of batteries, my pocket knife, and my little cd player. oh and left their nasty gloves.

This whole thing baffles me. and i want to know WHY?!?! why does this always happen to me?? its not like i leave my car unlocked and the windows down. and if i have stuff in there its hidden. the ipod was under the radio, and the cd player in the arm rest compartment. i just think its so stupid that people feel the need to steal. ugg!!

New Hair

Before (its all wavy)

After (it flips out now)

so i only have a before and after from the back view, because my camera hates my face right now, lol. It was so long before and now its short! i don't remember the last time i had it this short. Once it goes out to my ideal length, I'm going to dye it.

Two conversions...

To my mother's (really my grandmother's) brownies! I made brownies last week, and now Sarah and Raelee are hooked! I might make more tonight. I've been ranting about them ever since i've moved, and now i have followers. they were all gone within 3 days. I've had to adjust the cooking time because i dont have the same pans as mom. but they are still awesome.

this was were Raelee crossed over.

my Alton Brown camera angle

oh so yummy!

quirky things in life

Jessica Shepherd (who I've known since i was a beehive!) tagged me. now i get to share 5 quirks that i have. then i get to keep that chain going, muwhaa!

1. I don't like sleeping with a top sheet. it always ends up getting lost and i like to kick my feet out. Raelee is the same way and we were talking last night about how our husbands will have to learn to deal with it, lol.

2. i want to have every Muse song. right now i'm at 57, and not close.

3. i dont like to be rushed when getting ready for work. I'm less likely to forget something that way.

4. i like funny t-shirts.

5. At Target they have a section in the cds of up and coming artists and usually they are about $10. I like to pick one out and see if i like it. Some of my favorites have come that way. My senior year i would get a new cd every week.


There are my five! now its Shannon, Lisa, and Janalee's turn.
If want to do it just follow these rules:
1. Tell about 5 quirks you have.
2. Tag 3 fellow bloggers and leave a comment to let them know

A Day At The Park

the pond

geese that live at the pond

old carnival swing

We discovered Liberty Park yesterday, and it is now one of our favorite places. We havent even seen the whole park yet either! there is an Aviary, garden, wading pool, a mansion (it used to be a mill) three different play grounds, a huge pond, tennis courts, and lots more. we are excited to see all of it before it starts to get to cold.

New Start

Sorry for the delay of the post. i was just waiting until i found my camera cord so that i could put up pictures. Now, remember, we are poorly college students. so its messy....and lacking important furniture...like a couch. there is a couch...but its not here. so, to the point, more better pictures later. The table we found at the DI (like goodwill) and cleaned it (it was quite gross) and spray painted it black. same with the chairs, along with recovering them. The tv stand was Greg's and he let us have it. (thanks Greg!) The kitchen opens up into the front room. there are no bedroom pictures at the moment. so sit tight, its coming.

Work at the theater isnt so well. Its easy, but they are overstaffed and not making attendance. so my job search is even more urgent.

The Last days....in abq

so today was my last day at Movies 8....and what a day it was. Its also Labor Day, and what to people do? they all come to see a movie. i sold over 1300 tickets in one shift. thats about how much they sell on a normal Tuesday...oh and there were 3 box office people. so basically, from the time we opened, we were slammed all day. i was about to go crazy with the phone ringing non stop (i've always hated the phone in box, but today was especially fierce and fiery hatred) lets say, i will be glad to take a little break from work.

i'm also packing. i never realized it before, but i have alot of t-shirts. they filled half of my largest suitcase. the rest of my clothes are pack and now i just have stuff to put in boxes. there is alot of that too.

so i'll be busy. i post-poned my travel day to thursday to have a little more time to pack.

Fall Plans

I'll be moving back up to Salt Lake in two weeks! Labor Day will be my last day at the theater and i'll drive up that Wednesday (Sept. 3) I'm pretty excited and keep thinking its a few days ahead of what it really is. I'll be living with 3 friends (sarah, raelee, and kendall) in an apartment right by school. though, i'll be taking fall semester off. i will just work full time at a theater there. but not the one i was at before. Sugarhouse is something to experience just once. The new theater will be first-run, and more screens. Its somewhat out of the way so i'll be on the job search.

This week Lisa and I are going to Phoenix to visit Shannon. we'll leave early tuesday and be back friday or saturday. i'm not excited about the heat, but very excited to see the new dwellings. maybe i'll finally get some color on my pasty legs.

Funny video

youtube never fails to entertain me. i have to watch it 9 times to see all of it, lol.

back on track

After all these months of waiting, and being pulled into the black hole that is Twilight fever...I am back! Finished the book today so now i feel like i can move on. (thank goodness!) oh, until the movie comes out. but it wont be as bad. those books have a way of sucking you in and not letting go until your done.

Other exciting news, Mom got a baby grand! Its a little banged up but plays very well. now we just need to find a new place for the upright and someone to pawn the organ off on.
More news! i'm on my last week of summer semester! i'm excited to be done. and the break i'm taking from fall semester will be wonderful. it will give me time to refocus my energy and maybe help me find something to focus my education on. if not, there are always generals.

RIP The Old Pink Lady

The first car that i drove around was the 1990 champagne pink ford taurus that Roger found. Then Melanie drove it when i left last fall. Now, its going to the junker. The transmission went out, and for a car that only cost a few hundred its not worth fixing if for a few thousand. So, it will be pulled for parts with money in return. RIP
oh and Stevie has found Melanie a nice 1970s VW bug


so the big thing at the end of the month fell through. It was a trip to San Diego to go to the Comic Con with Sarah. We were going to meet Rob Pattinson (the guy playing Edward in the Twilight movie) we both realized that we are too busy. too bad, I was really looking forward to seeing Sarah freak out. dither spaz to the extreme.

family time, updates, and possibilites

Sorry for the long absence, but i havent been much for blogging lately. and i've been busy with other things. like school and work...yah. i'm about half way thru the semester and doing quite well. i did my first big speech for Public Speaking today, and got it done early at that! i'm just as surprised at you are. but i think taking the class once before helped a little bit. July will be crunch time for that class so dont be expecting too many posts. i also got a haircut today. its what it should of been the first time back in april.

Last Sunday, the fam went up to Bandelier and Hummingbird. I went ahead with Josh and Adam since the others didnt realize that its all stairs, making it difficult with strollers. they caught up eventually, after ditching the strollers. At the first set of stairs there was a line, and Adam noticed a kid with only one are and said "Look at him!! that kid doesnt have an arm!" he also asked me why he didnt have an arm and i told him that some people just dont and not to stare or speak loudly. i didnt take that many pictures because i've been there before and took tons of pictures. It was hot too. Adam forgot a water bottle, so i was nice and shared mine, even with the knowledge of him being a bit of a drink hog. When i took them to Kung Fu Panda i got a big drink for us to share and be basically drank all of it. anyways, we hurried through the path so that we could head back to get out of the sun. I still managed to get a sunburn on my head. After, it was off to HMC!! last time i was up there i didnt get to stay long, so i took time to go look around and see what has changed. They put up posters of pictures from past years in the lounge, and new patio furniture for the library (and taking out the couch from the deck behind the library) and they are also building something next to the boys dorm. i'm thinking its a laundry shack for the boys. there is one over by Pierson that i remember it being built and thinking it might be new head rooms. but it wasnt. Then me and the boys went down to the swimming hole and i let them stick there feet in. I must admit that i do miss being up there. I would of loved to be a Head Counselor and be up there the whole summer. Mom has been talking to me about being a teacher next summer, so i think i'll try it out. I'll have to be better at practicing and get a few of my old students and some new ones. we'll see how it turns out.

lexie got to go up too!

Dad's favorite past time: Naptime with Stella

in one of the caves

Logan is pretty good at the Flute. Once she wasnt nervous she got a whole tune going.

End of July, something exciting might happen, but i'm not saying much at the moment. I'll get back with that one :)

when will it end!

just as i thought, its practically June and i want to get out of NM. school just barely started and i'm already want that to be over. I love being with my family and see old friends but i want to go back. sadly, its only june. i'll just have to keep myself busy for about 10 long weeks.

Busy Busy

i have pictures for this post but the wireless internet isnt working so it will wait

So last week i drove up to Provo for a week with my friends. Me and Sarah had a surprize birthday party planned for Raelee and a book signing for The Host. Unfortunately, Sarah got stuck in California (and is still there) and had to cancell our plans. oh, and the tickets for the book signing were sold out since April. i still dont know why she didnt tell me sooner that it was sold out. anyways, so it was just me and Raelee and their other roommate Kelsey to find stuff to do. For Raelee's birthday, me and her went out for lunch and shopping at the mall and a movie. then cake and games later. oh and presents. I was worried the glass ring i got her wasnt going to fit but luckily it did. (check out www.thecarrotbox.com for awesome rings!) thursday all three of us did laser tag. friday ended up being a 6hr gamecube fest while kelsey was at work, but we did go out for dinner and movie making. It was a fun week, and i hope i can make another trip before the end of summer.

I just started at CNM for a few summer classes like step arobics. not excited about the 6am part. if i was still used to waking up for seminary then maybe it wont be so hard. i am excited to be taking it with Lisa. it should be fun!