Sunday, February 25, 2007

Wonderfully Busy Weekend

This weekend was wonderful! It really all started on my birthday (big 2-4!) on Thursday. I had dinner with LaRae, Randy, and Katelyn at their home. I got to open some great presents that night (a Mavs jersey, 2 willow tree figures, and doggie stairs for Sprinkles to climb into my bed), and I got to have a fun evening with my family. :-) Not so busy, but really nice and simple.

Friday after school I played with Sprinkles, and then I decided to take my laptop to the White House (the rec place in my complex) to use the free WiFi. I really only planned to be there an hour or so, but I got on CofCsingles and went to the chat room and ended up private messaging with a couple of guys for two and a half hours! Both were really sweet -- one I'm interested in as a friend, but the other could be a possibility. Either way, I'm not heartbroken if nothing happens because it was a nice conversation with a lovely man with a sense of humor.

Saturday was a celebration of me! :-) Thankfully my sister knows I really do like a hoopla for my bday, so she got some people together for dinner to celebrate with me. First though, I got to go to Frisco quite a few hours early to shop with Julie. We went to Sam Moon (I got purses and such), the Christian Book Store (where she got me a new Willow Tree figure for my bday -- my collection is getting rather large!), and then to lunch at IKEA. Yes, lunch at IKEA is really good! Then she had to go to a family thing, so I just stayed in Frisco and looked at shops. I got some junk at IKEA and then went to Glamour Dog. I ended up buying a Shih-Tzu keychain, and I really wanted to get a cute shirt for Sprinkles, but they were like $30! $30 for a dog shirt!? No way -- my dog doesn't really need doggie couture! :-D Anyways, I ended up in Barnes and Noble for a couple of hours having throw-back-to-my-college-happiness-at-Hastings time reading trade paper backs and some Post Secret books.

Finally it was time for everyone to come to Dave and Buster's, and we ended up having a really good group of people! I want to actually do a shout out here and say thanks to LaRae, Randy, Alan, Rachel, Paul, Jennifer, and Mario for coming. It really wouldn't have been as great as it was if any of you were missing! I also really appreciated the generous gifts you all gave me -- even if you hadn't brought gifts and we had just had our fun meal together, that would have been greatness! I love having meals with my friends where we get to truly enjoy each other and share big laughs (you know the ones -- laughs so loud people turn around and look at you)! Thank you for making this birthday special for me. You all helped make a memory I won't ever forget!

I got home last night and realized that even though birthdays are usually hard for me being single I actually didn't care this year. In fact after recent events, I'm feeling more and more ok that I'm single. I pray God will send me someone, but if not, for now, I'm ok. Maybe that peace is a birthdau gift from Him...or maybe my recent dates have been His way of helping me be ok with the whole single thing. Or maybe there's someone out there I just need to wait for -- I dunno, but I'm ok. :-) Eyes are still open though! ha ha ha!

Well I've just finally jumped into the 21st century and downloaded iTunes and learned how to use it. My new iPod Shuffle (thanks sooooo much guys! It rocks!) now has about 100 songs on it (I'm starting small.) and is charging on the side of my laptop. Something about how easy it all was to make work makes me feel really silly for not having an iPod until now.

I need to go now. Katelyn wants to watch Cars, and I haven't seen it yet, so I'm off to watch it while I wait for my eBay actions to end...Love ya'll! Thank you again to all my friends who made it last night. Words can't really express how happy I was last night. ;-)

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Spoilers Everywhere!

If you haven't seen this week's Heroes or last week's Lost, I suggest you stop reading after this paragraph. I'd been so good updating my blog, but I've been really busy lately, so I've had to drop off a bit. Tomorrow is my 24th birthday: good number -- it's even, it's the number of hours in a day, it's 2 times the archetypal number for the relationship between God and man, it's 24% of the way to 100, and it's 6 25ths of a century. w00t! :-) LaRae's planning a small get together at Dave and Busters which should be really fun. Best of all it's at Stone Brier Mall where there is a Showcolate. :-) I'm excited to get to have a celebration with my friends -- I know it's not meat on a stick, but it's still fun. :-)

OK on to the spoilers!
Lost comes first. I'm looking forward to tonight's episode, but I really don't want Charlie to die. For those of you who read Kent's blog, you know from my comments that I believe good shows are even better when they have a resident hobbit. Seriously, Dominic Monaghan is one of the reasons I started watching Lost, and I absolutely love him as an actor. He's just funny. So last week was allllll about Desmond which I can't complain about because we knew next to nothing about his past. The big question is if he actually left the island or not when he turned the key. I say NO. He was knocked out from the blast and was flying through the air during what we saw until he crashed in the forest and hit his head (thus ending the "dream"). Let me explain further: think about you dreaming at night -- you can dream about weeks passing when you've only been asleep for an hour long nap -- the mind has no time limits. Why the "dream"? (I have no idea what else to call it other than a dream.) The blast or whatever happened when he turned the key is what made him able to see visions of the future. His subconscious went through his past linking it to things/people that had already happened on the island to help him deal with the visions that would come when he awoke. Desmond being hit in the head in the bar coincided with him hitting his head in the woods when he fell (I'm assuming from the sky). Again, his subconscious linked past and present to help him wake. While I know the whole thing was traumatizing for him to go through his past again only to wake up on the island, this way he woke able to deal with his strange, new "talent." When I explained all of this to Randy and LaRae, Randy said it made sense when he thought of it like the story Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Who knows...maybe I'm totally off, but it just doesn't make sense that he actually left the island and relived some of his past.

On to Heroes! You all know I think that all episodes should have Peter Petrelli, so I wasn't disappointed this week. While I really like that he's able to control his powers better now and is able to pull from the bank of powers he has absorbed, I'm not a total fan of how he's using them. I think it will be easy for him to start to abuse them to get what he wants... Simone died because he engaged in a fight with Issac rather than talking rationally. Granted Issac needs to think for himself. OK, and I'm not so sad that Simone is dead. She was secondary and a distraction to the heroes. If someone had to be killed off, that's fine that it was her. Since Peter has come in contact with Sylar (I shudder when I think of him), he must have a huge number of "powers" to pull from. Does this make him a good head to head match to "beat" Sylar now? Speaking of Sylar -- ha ha ha! Serves him right to steal that woman's power and not be able to control it yet. I was really really sad to see Ando and Hiro split up. I totally understand it, but it still makes me sad. I'll miss that team. Is this the end of Ando's role on the show, or will we get to see him again? Finally the policeman, radioactive freak, and the ultimate computer nerd: they make a rather frightening team. I don't like the radioactive guy -- he's too unstable, but isn't radioactivity rather unstable too? The computer geek is freakishly into revenge, and I'm not happy that the policeman seems to be turning against the law -- granted sometimes there are crooked cops, but I don't see that being what he's turning against. He of all people should know better than to steal and to manhandle people. Claire's finally getting the right idea about her dad and hopefully her shunning him will help him to see that protecting his family doesn't mean destroying their minds or keeping them in a bubble. Can they please fix Claire's adoptive mom? I found this on wikipedia, and while I don't really like it as a source, this link has a pretty conclusive list of characters from the show. Enjoy!

OK I'm done. See, I don't have any good theories on Heroes, but I finally have something to guess about on Lost. Typically the theories just drive me mad, so I wait to just see what's going to happen. Yes, my weekend was busy -- I'll post about the baby shower cake when I can. Tutoring went well. I don't post about dates on here, so if you want to know how it went, just ask me. By the way, did ya'll know I'm a Southern girl through and through? I didn't know it mattered, but apparently it's bred in me to expect certain things to happen on a date (no not like that!)... I've still got a lot to do today, so I should run. Hope you all have a lovely day!

Friday, February 16, 2007

No Pictures; Only Words

OK, so the title for this one is pretty self explanitory. I need to take some pictures to be able to have something to post picture-wise. Next week I should be done with the rubber ducky cake, so I'll be able to show ya'll what it looked like, I had to modify it a bit already because the directions for the pan lied. Yep, flat out lied to my face!

This weekend is going to be busy in spurts. I've got a date on Saturday (yep -- you read that right!), and Julie's baby shower is that morning. Tonight I've got to finish her cake and maybe hang out with Amanda for movies and playing with our dogs together (if she feels better -- she went home sick this morning). Sunday I've got church, and I have to tutor again (almost my last time). The woman wants me to tutor her one last time the night before the test, which is next Friday night. What if I want to go out for my bday that night?? I know she needs my help, but my birthday is Thursday, and I want to be free to celebrate. :-) Oh well, I think I'm going to tell her I can tutor 5 - 6 only. I don't mind tutoring on Sunday afternoons; I just don't like it in the evenings after work when my brain is already fried.


Ha! I just came up with something to take a picture of and post! By now you should know that:
1. I LOVE glitter.
2. I love all things sparkly.
3. Pink is my favorite color.
4. I love math.
5. I always make lists with an odd number of statements. :-)
Behold! The best calculator ever!
The kids love it, and it's really fun when I pull it out at my desk to help them with a problem, and they see it for the first time. Typically the reaction is, "whoa, Miss! You're calculator has got serious bling! That's cool!" Makes me smile everytime they say it. In all honesty, if I could get away with wearing glitter or something sparkly everyday, I would!

Hope you all have a great weekend -- especially all you ladies on the Ladies Retreat. Love ya'll!


Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Time for an Update?

Edit: OOPS! Heroes Spoiler Alert -- don't read the end if you haven't watched this week's yet? I really did spoil a bit there...sorry Paul!

Edit 2: LOOK at the very bottom of my blog page! I got a fun new counter!
I was trying to find a good picture to post, and I stumbled across this picture. Can you believe Little Bear was that small? I used to love putting her to bed because it meant I got to cuddle with her. :-) I can't wait for Little Joshua to show up. (I know I kind of have to wait...but still!) The first thing I thought when LaRae said it was going to be a boy was, "what do you do with a little boy?! I know nothing of baby boys!" Then Sunday morning she was sitting there holding Tate, and I thought, "oh what a beautiful baby boy! I can do this...I need to get Joshua some bear paw shoes!" (Check out Kelly's site for the picture of those!) Anyways, I'm finally really on board and excited about having a nephew! I was excited before, but now I'm a lot more excited! Does that make sense without sounding completely moronic? Ha!

This weekend is mildly busy as well. Friday night Amanda and I are going to hang out at her house and watch a movie as an early bday celebration. She said to bring Sprinkles, so he can play with us, and so he can have interaction with her and her roomie's dogs since they're bigger than him. He has been getting braver lately. Saturday is Julie's shower, and sometime before then I'm supposed to make the cake which means I have to shop for the stuff for it. That should be interesting... I hope it will turn out well! Yes, I'll post pictures of it when it's done. Sunday is tutoring day; I tutor another teacher for the 8 - 12 math certification test. Thankfully I miss doing calculus and higher math, so it's pretty fun! (OK, and I get paid for it...)

Oh yeah, HEROES! Did ya'll watch it last night? Not too scary this week. (Can you believe I actually watch it alone!?)
- Sylar is still too spooky, but this week I watched his scene without having to watch it on fast forward or with my eyes covered -- that's progress!
- I missed getting to see Peter -- can he be on every show please??
- I wasn't happy with the cop taking the diamonds. No matter what that guy was thinking about him, he's still the good guy, and he should act like one! Why could he hear Niki?? Was it because he can hear thoughts, or was it because when she's arguing with herself, she says both parts aloud? Just a curiosity. Him hearing Niki didn't sound like when he hears thoughts.
- Also, Claire's mother is just sad, and Claire's father needs to fix it. It's beyond the point where he loves her, so he's protecting her; now he's just ruining her mind and her life. Maybe if he really loved her, he would trust her. What did he see in her when they married? What was she like then? Has her memory been erased so many times that we haven't really seen what Claire's mom was like when she married Claire's father?
- Ando and Hiro always make me laugh, but I don't like the idea of them getting split up. I know Ando doesn't have powers (that we know of yet), but they're a team, and they need each other. It messes with the chemistry!
- Nathan needs to come clean with his family -- not the press, but his family. He needs to tell his wife about him being able to fly. He needs to tell her about his daughter. He needs to meet Claire and not be such a pansy! What kind of marriage does he have if it's all based on lies?! OK, so I'm on the marriage thing today, but it's becoming clear to me that none of the married characters are very honest with their spouses, nor do they communicate clearly and openly.
There that's the end of my Heroes rant. Sorry if you were silly enough to read it before you watched the show!

Hope you all have lovely weeks! Don't get blown away by the freakishly strong winds today!

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Peace, Perfect Peace

I've moved up to intermediate Sudoku. (That's the one I just finished.) Granted, easy ones really are too easy for me, but it's kind of a nice ego booster to be able to solve one in a few minutes. Now I'm back in the mindset, and I've moved up to intermediate. Really this post isn't about Sudoku (as fun as it is)...

The other day I was sitting at my desk after school, and I realized while life is pretty good right now, after 4th period, I am usually really stressed out. So I started thinking about what makes me relax and when I'm most at peace (in the school setting). Granted, because I'm trying to think about being at peace at school, I can't go the route of, "I feel most at peace watching TV, reading a book, playing with Katelyn or Sprinkles, etc." When I really got down to it, I feel so peaceful when I am making answer keys for algebra (for tests or classwork) or playing Sudoku. There's something so calming about the order and logic of doing both activities. I know, I know, I'm a math major, so Algebra is really easy for me, but I think it's something about always being able to solve the problem. About the order of thinking about math. About just having something I can feel like a genius doing. About how pretty an algebra problem is when it's solved (yes -- pretty! I think a well organized, completed, algebra problem looks pleasing to the eye!) . I've started making my answer keys for the day during 2nd period as the kids are working, and sometimes when they're working and don't need me, I can work on a Sudoku puzzle...it's something I can pick up and be interupted from without getting messed up. Maybe it's rather OCD of me; I think that's why I love math -- because it's so ORGANIZED! Go try Sudoku.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Weirdness

I have no one to take pictures of me and Sprinkles (and so I don't have many), so the other night I set the timer on my camera and tried to take some myself. This was the best, and it's not that great, but at least I have it. :-) Tonight we're learning how to have him go to a "spot" when told to, so I've got to bring his "spot" with me. It's going to be his big bed pillow...it's a huge pillow that I intended to be a comfortable place for him to sleep. Instead he's decided that the end of the couch, on top of me (either in bed or on the couch), or at my feet is a much more comfortable way to sleep. Oh well, it's a good place to tell him to go when company comes, and he's acting insane or to go when I need him out of my hair when he is misbehaving. Really at this point I'm just liking the interaction he is getting with the big dogs.

So weird stuff is happening at my apartment complex. To start with, a few weeks ago the people above me (who's door happens to be on the first floor -- they have a garage) moved out on a Sunday -- all day Sunday in fact. A few days later a notice appeared on their door (in plain) sight that their check had bounced, and they were in danger of lock out. For about a week or more now, they have been locked out (lot of good it does--they're gone!), and a notice of "official lock out" has been taped to the door. Now for the past few nights people have been showing up at that apartment and going in through the garage (not the people who lived there). They've been taking items from the garage, which was left with tons of stuff in it, (after leafing through it all and picking out the good stuff) and have been upstairs in the apartment walking loudly. What the heck!? The official lock out lock is still on the door knob! Last night I called Dad to ask what to do, and he wrote down the licence number as I walked by and quietly read it to him (yes, I'm prone to playing the role of Nancy Drew). I called and left a message for the apartment complex, but I haven't heard back. It's just weird! If it were people cleaning for the complex, wouldn't they do it in day light hours and be loading all the junk to toss instead of taking a bit at a time? I feel like criminal activity is happening in my building or else I'm going insane! OK, I've got to go. I need to sleep a lot tonight after doggie class!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

DEATHLY HALLOWS!!!

A most exciting article has appeared on Mugglenet! The next and final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be released July 21st of THIS YEAR! Now in the past with the rumors of fake book titles and release dates, J. K. Rowling has told readers to not believe it unless it shows up on her official site. Here it is! Sorry, I'm super excited! Do you understand what this means?!

1. We find out the end to this saga that's been being read since 1997!

2. We find out who lives and who dies. (tears)

3. My invisible shelf will finally be holding all 7 of the HP books! It's very happy to hear this as it's life goal is not able to be realized until this book is released.

4. This summer I will have something new to read.

5. I need to start re-reading all the HP books NOW. Yep, that's right! I was able to read the 1st 3 in a row bc that's when LaRae (THANK YOU!) got me started on these books. Before Books 4, 5, and 6 were released I read all the previous books again in anticipation of the continuation of the story. I've actually re read all of the books numerous times...I think I've read them all at least 10 times, and each time I discover something new.

6. When the book comes I will read it quickly once bc I have been so eager to get the book. After I finish it the first time I will immediately start reading it again but slower so I can savor each word and make sure I catch every little thing.

7. Mugglenet.com will not really have a reason to exist after a few years when the movies are done. (Think about theonering.net that was popular when the LotR movies were coming out. Who visits that site anymore?!)

8. I'll have to find some other epic series to start. This one I love to re-read bc it takes me to a world far away from my troubles that I would love to be in and have the abilities the characters have.

9. July 21st and the days following you should not try to contact me. I will not stop to eat or sleep except when my body demands it! :-) Face the facts, I'm out of the closet to the world -- I LOVE HARRY POTTER. :-D

Sigh.