Robyn -- Be Mine

I found this little Swedish singer named Robyn on perezhilton.com. He had posted her song 'Be Mine' that she performed at Nobel Peach Prize concert this year. I listened to this song and had goosebumps the entire time and teared up as well, because I'm such a sap.

I had to see where this amazing voice came from, so I searched her on myspace and listen to the original, and it's very very 'poppy'. I really like the acoustic/piano arrangement more, so I thought I'd share.

Enjoy!

http://perezhilton.com/tv/index.php?ptvid=ede5f35e66e93

Re: Snow.

We got it!



Thanks.



:)



It's been a sweet storm so far. We're expecting it to dump tonight too!







First White Christmas here I come!!!

O Christmas Tree

Ooooooo. What a nice looking tree :)

We picked out our tree last weekend, and bought all of our 'shatterproof' ornaments at Target.

I ♥ Target.

Our star on top is super crooked, because we picked a tree with a crappy top.

But I think it gives the tree some character...

Ryan and I decided to buy each other a Wii for Christmas. We went to Carson City, and stopped at Wally World and they were out of them, we then went to Target to get the rest the stuff on our list, and to see how much it was there, THEY were out.

Jeezzz, Wii's must be popular or something. Hahaha
Finished at Target and headed to Game Stop. Thank goodness they had it! We also picked up another remote and nunchuck, and a Mario Kart wheel, Mario Party 8 and some old school fighter game... Definetly worth the amount spent!

It's been a while since I have loaded any pics of us... So here are some holiday ones. :)

Here is a funny one of us attempting to take a Christmas photo.

Kiefer was being funny and wiggling.



He is getting so big right?!?!




Our stockings. Ryan, Meghan, Liz && Lil Kiefer




Tree!!!

Pray for Snow

Tahoe is dry and to get some business in this town we need snow. ASAP.

In town different restaraunts host 'Pray for Snow' parties, where everyone gets together and grabs some food and drinks and pray for snow. There are also snow dance competitions... it gets pretty crazy. But clearly these parties aren't working because we still have no snow.

So now, I'm asking everyone to:

PLEASE PRAY FOR SNOW





thanks

Bratz Be Gone!

Would you want your young daughter to play with these?



Or these?



Well I was surprised my mom let my sisters play with them... They are called 'Bratz'. There has been much speculation over the past few years about these dolls being too risque for kids. They have extremly short skirts, and terrible eyeshadow, hoochie lipstick, and worst of all, you swap feet, not just shoes. The feet come off with the shoes?!?! CREEPY! Can you say bad example for young children?!?!?

A federal judge ruled yesterday that their manufacturer, MGA, would no longer be able to produce these slutty dolls.

Hip-hip-horray!!

All because a dude named Carter Bryant was working for Mattel, when he came up with the idea of the dolls. (I'm assuming that he probably pitched the dolls to Mattel and they said no). Then later moved to work for MGA.

Well, the companies were fighting over the billions these stupid little skanky dolls make, and Mattel won! GO BARBIE! MGA has to stop manufacturing and will take all dolls off the shelves after the holiday.

Hip-hip-horray!! Hip-hip-horray!!

Benefit Enrollment

It's that time of year to re-enroll for my medical, dental and vision benefits.

I first enrolled in July and it was really hard to tell which plans I needed, but finally I made some decisions and it all worked out well. I could see doctors for a $25 copay, and my prescriptions were only $7 for the generic version. And they only took like $75 outta each check. HA!

Well of course now that it's December, something has changed with the benefits package. You now can 'Build Your Own' package. I don't wanna build my own, I just want the same damn one I have been receiving! Plus they don't make it very clear which benefit you had coincides with which new plan.

For crying out loud someone save me!

Less Than 24hrs!!

Until I get to see my friends and family! WOOOOOOOO

I am so excited. What I am not excited for is the time from now to landing in Burbank... I get off work in two hours, then go home, finish some math homework, pack, pack, pack, go to math class, eat dinner and pass out.

Then wake up tomorrow morning at 230am to take a shower and get ready for the flight, drive to my work to pick up the 315am shuttle to the airport. When we arrive at the airport we get to sit and wait until our flight leaves at 7am.

Wow. That's only the beginning of our day!
Then my lovely cousin Jen will pick us up from Burbank. We're gonna see Grandma and have some lunch and pick up the Trooper. Then I have a hair appt at 1pm with my friend Anna Haines Quigley (She got married too... but her maiden name has such a great ring to it... I can't stop calling her Anna Haines).

After I get my hair did, we'll drive into SCV and check into the hotel and see all the family and friends... and hang out with them.

Well that's all for now, I have to go back to work.
See some of you all soon!

Move Sundance Film Festival...

I am so glad to see that the LGBT community hasn't given up the fight against THE MAN.

Well, now their fighting against the Mormons. Has anyone else heard about this? I guess since I don't live in LA, where there is a temple, and don't get any news on tv regarding California (damn Nevada news... it sucks soooo bad, and it's soooo cheesy) I wasn't very aware of all the protesting. I had to go onto myspace to see that my friend's had all posted bulletins about going down to the temple to protest this past Saturday. Otherwise I had seen some things about the $20 million dollars they gave for YES on Prop H8TE (during the election), and I think it's pretty ludacris. Especially since Mormons are 2% of the United States faith, and they all mainly live in Utah, not California... I don't understand why the entire Latter-Day Saints community would put forth SO MUCH F*CK**NG money!!!! (sorry Grandma -- I am just a very passionate person) :)

Ya know, when I was growing up I had a lot of Mormon friends. A lot, a lot. I still keep in contact with some... But when I was between 7 and 10yrs old , I would join some Mormon friends at their church, to do fun things with their meeting groups. However you could only join the fun times, if you attended church on Sunday. So every Sunday I would get dressed up and have one of the families pick me up, but sometimes I would not wear the right outfit and not be allowed to go (i.e. if i showed my shoulders). Eventually I got old enough to realize that they are somewhat of a cult. I wont get into it... because I don't really want to offend too many people. But in my opinion the LDS church is a cult... actually in my opinion most organized religon is a cult

I think they do a lot of discriminating... For instance, if you were to date a Mormon man, you were together for a long time and decided to get married, you would have to convert to Mormonism, aaaaannnnnddddd if you wanted to get married in the temple, all of your wedding guests would have to be Mormon, otherwise they can't enter. HOW LAME!! You're own family wouldn't be able to see you get married, because of the religon!?!? It just doesn't make sense. Jews are allowed to enter a Catholic church, no problem.

So -- to get to the point... Sundance Film festival is coming up. It has been held in Salt Lake City since 1978. However this year, with everything that happened, a lot of people and celebrities are trying to have it moved to New Mexico. New Mexico is an understanding state, that doesn't (and has never) allow(ed) predjudice into their state laws. I think that they should definetly move the Sundance festival. Especially since visiting I have found out that the host hotel is the Park City Marriott. The entire Marriott corporation is owned and operated by a very important Mormon, J. W. Marriott, Jr. Greeeaaatt. Oh and I actually just found out from a former employee of Marriott, not only do they have a bible in the room, but they have a book of mormon as well. I just don't feel like we should shine light on a place like Salt Lake City.

I feel terrible for the LGBT community. They fight and fight and fight and get nowhere. We have gay marriage, then we don't. Their voices aren't being heard, and people turn a deaf ear. It's sad to me that the government gave Mormon's the right to have 8 wifes, but a man can't have a husband, and a woman can't have a wife. Maybe moving Sundance will get the voices heard.

It's time for equality damnit!
I guess... that's all.




(Just so you all know, I wrote this on 11/20, slept on it and then did some more revisions and changes... slept on it again... made some more changes and actually posted it on 11/24... because I know its a sensitive subject -- I hope it doesn't come off as hateful...)

The Perezzies!

Hottest Hookup	Biggest Breakup
Lindsay Lohan and Sa...	Hugh Hefner and the ...
Favorite Jonas	Breakout Star of the Year
Nick	Lady Gaga
Baddest Bad Girl	Biggest Scandal
Amy Winehouse	Lindsay Lohan and sa...
Best Dressed	Worst Dressed
Anne Hathaway	Amy Winehouse
Hottest Hottie	Cutest Celebuspawn
Megan Fox	Violet Affleck
Most Improved	Worst Trainwreck
Lindsay Lohan	Amy Winehouse
Most DVR-worthy Series	Biggest Box Office Blowout
Gossip Girl	The Dark Knight
Celeb of the Year
Angelina Jolie

Who would you vote for?
Go to PerezHilton.com to vote!

And that is how obsessed I am with celebrities., and proof that I really have absolutley nothing to do at work.

These awards are called the Perezzies, and are off of Perezhilton.com, and he's a celebrity blogger. But he also blogs about anything else that is controversial or interesting (he was awesome during the election). I find him funny, most find him annoying or stupid. He always draws nasty things on the celebrities faces and makes fun of their pathetic lifestyles. I don't know why I am obsessed, but maybe it's because I used to see all of these people all the time when I lived 25mins from Hollyweird. Who knows.

Wordle...

So I was reading my friend Melissa Dell's (oh wow, the first time I have typed her married name!) blog and she had this collage called a Wordle on her page. I thought it was pretty cool. So I clicked on the link... and typed in my blog url, and this was what came up.

A bunch of words, all that I use on my blog. Clearly I use Ryan the most. Then get, just, people, animals.... blah blah blah.

Try it: www.wordle.net

I Guess You Can't Win Them All.

I am still in shock. I think it might take a while for it to really hit me that I am alive -- and the United States of America, just voted the first 1/2 black, 1/2 white President, Barack Hussein Obama. It is truly amazing. I am so proud to be an Obama supporter. And I am proud (for the first time in a while now) to be an American. I am so thankful that people got out there and voted in what they believed in. I was amazed to see the numbers just keep climbing and climbing.

I can't wait to see what the next four years have in store for us. I really think that Obama has the power to turn around this country. And I voted for him, because I believe he will make a change. When he was giving his speech on Tuesday night, I was in tears. I was so moved. For the first time in eight years, the president sounded competent. I believed what he was saying, not making fun of it. He is full of knowlege and strength, and I am just delighted.

However... Prop 8 passed. Which I think (Grandma , WARNING -- close your eyes), is utter bullshit. I think that marriage is for everyone. Love is love. I can't imagine how all of the gays & lesbians feel right now. I bet they feel stripped of their rights. I am straight, I have no problems with gays. They don't affect me. They do their thing, I do mine. I have quite a few friends who are gay and are just outraged. And there is nothing I can say to them except that I'm sorry so many people are so ignorant.

I have family members who are gay. My deceased aunt Mary-Ellen was a lesbian, with a partner and a son. I never met her because she did pass away before I was born. But I commend her for coming out during a time where it was against the norm to have such a relationship.

I truly thought that Californian's were over it. I hope that in two years we can overturn this terrible prop, and give everyone what I someday will have. A beautiful wedding, a beautiful family and a beautiful life.

Futuristic Arcades

Yesterday was my day off, so Ryan and I decided to go and see a movie at the Horizon Casino. Inside the casino there is the movie theater, Starbucks and an arcade. All of the casinos have arcades in them and we never really checked them out. We ended up at the theater early so we decided to play some games. When we got into the dark and loud arcade we looked around for some old Street Fighter or Centipede games, when we noticed all of the games had these card scanners. They looked like credit card scanners, and they were right where the slot to enter quarters would have been.

Ryan and I walked to the ticket counter to see what was up. Sure enough you have to buy a "play card". Certain dollar amounts add up to a certain amount of points that you can use on the games. You can't just use quarters!!! CRAZY! We decided to put $10 on a card and go wild. We played the Jurassic Park game, where you get to kill the dinosaurs, and Ry and I killed the T-Rex!! Ryan played some Street Fighter, and almost beat the hardest guy to beat. We also played a few of the Cruiser games, where you drive at extremly high speeds around corners and don't crash. I really can't play to many arcade games, I would rather play air hockey, or skeeball.

We had a good time. The movie was okay. We saw SexDrive. Not as funny as Superbad. I won't get into it, it would be a waste of time.

Introducing: KIEFER the KITTEN!

The hole that has been in my heart has been filled. Ryan and I adopted Kiefer (yes, as in Sutherland), yesterday from the Carson City Animal Shelter. There were so many orange tabbys but this little guy won us over. He has such a spunky personality, and is extremley affectionate.

There is one problem though. He is not potty-trained. I guess I got really lucky with Frances, because he came potty-trained. Not this one. Ryan and I went to the store yesterday to pick up some seasonings for dinner last night, and we come back in, and the house smells like poo or pee. We search high and low, and no poo or pee to be found. We're not sure if he just farted or what.

So, last night I head to bed and was changing into my jammies and just threw my clothes on the floor instead of putting them in the hamper, 8 feet away (Sidenote: I am just like my family, Aunt Elizabeth didn't put her clothes in the laundry hamper and the next morning found Pepper in her socks that smelled like bag balm... HAHA).

The next morning I woke up to my pants with a big pile of poo on them, and my bra with a huge yellow stain. Wow, I was furious. But at the same time I understand that kittens are kittens and you can't punish them for going and doing nature's thing... Then right before I went to right this blog he pee'd on a blanket that was on the couch and floor.

So now we get to potty train little Kiefer. I have been doing a lot of research because I am not quite sure what to do... I am sure someone in my family knows how to help me, so if you have any suggestions please let me know.

Now it's time for more pictures!!!

The adoption woman was really sweet. She let us have the entire cat area to ourselves. She let us play with all of them. We picked out 5 orange tabby kittens, and played with them for a while. We narrowed it down to the 2 we enjoyed the most and Ryan picked his favorite! We are going to take him to the vet throughout the next week, to see what he's going to need in the next few months. Shots will come first, then the neuter, then the $30 check from the City of Carson City -- thanking us for adopting a homeless kitten and taking care of it.

Very much unlike the people that were infront of us at the animal shelter. It was a woman and her daughter who had been evicted from their house, but didn't take their animals with them. They had 4 dogs, 3 cats, 1 parrot (with his beak so curled he could barely eat), 2 bunnies, a few reptiles, and a turtle. The woman told us that the house was so full of feces that it took 4 people to bust the door open to get to the animals. Clearly these people could not take care of an animal, nonetheless the 11 or so they horded.

The animal control woman told the mother that there was no way that she was going to give the animals back to them until they could provide proof that they were living in an area suitable for such animals. (Carson City is kinda wack huh?) The young daughter left crying, upset that they wouldn't give her her animals. Ridiculous.

I guess I didn't realize that they're are people who could get so many animals, and not care about any of them, and have them all living in such a disgusting, unhealthy environment. Especially since I am so happy with my new little boy, I would never want him to have to live like that.


However I would like it if he learned how to use the litter box.

Happy Shanksgivin'!!!

It's official!! Ryan and I will be down for Thanksgiving.



Can I hear a "HORRRAYYYYY!!! YIPPEEE SKIPPY!!! WAAAAHHOOOO!!!"


We had to wait on my work to give the me A-okay on getting my holidays off. (Because, when you work in the hospitality industry you have to understand that you work on holidays, no if's and's or but's about it. The world will continue to travel, so hotels have to stay open.) I guess my co-worker's and I all saw eye to eye on what days we wanted off, and the schedule rounded out perfectly.

So I (nope not me) Daddy bought the plane tickets... Well, I didn't want the tickets to get any more expensive, so he put his card down, and I will cut him a check next week when I get paid. (thanks Dad!)

We fly down on Tuesday Nov. 25 at 7am from Reno and arrive in Burbank at 9:35am.
We then go from Burbank to Grandma Margo's house (method of transportations TBA) to pick up the Trooper (thanks Grandma!).
Then we get to spend the next 3 days in LA. Eating lots of turkey, stuffing, yams, green beans, cranberry jelly, and to top it all of -- dun dun dun dahhhh -- PUMPKIN PIE!
Now let me hear the "Oooooooohhhhh, Aaaahhhhhhhh"

Oh boy, I can't wait to gain 10lbs!

Then on Friday Nov. 28, we go back to Grandma Margo's house to drop off the Trooper, and go back to Burbank (method to transportation still TBA) hop on a plane and fly back from Burbank at 3:30pm, and arrive home in Reno at 6:40pm.

Not too shabby.

I am very very excited, and so is Ryan. We both can't wait to see all of our families, since this will be our only trip, we will make a valiant effort to see EVERYONE.
Yikes! That's a lot of people.
Well maybe not everyone, but only the important ones most everyone.


Now you know what I am doing, make your Thanksgiving plans around me!

HAHAHAAAHAAHA

Just kidding.

:]

Old Halloweenie Pictures from the Crypt

Thanks to Aunt Heador. After my Pinktober post I recieved an email with a barage of pictures from my younger days. I figured I should post them, to show everyone how cute I was am.

I loved 101 dalmations when I was young... So I had to be one for Halloweenie.

This was also from when Caitlin was a "blide" and Eeppers was Baby Bop. I can't remember who in the world thought Baby Bop was a good costume, but EP looks pretty darn cute!

This was when I was a medieval queen. I believe I was in 8th grade.

As Aunt Heather mentioned in the comments on a previous post and email, my mom and her would have the best time on Halloween at our houes. They would always break open a few bottles of wine and stroll around the neighborhood with all of the kiddies, while dad stayed home and passed out candy. Then when it would get late we would come back to the house with our pillowcases full. Mom and Heather would inspect the candy to make sure none of them were poinsinous. Then Dad would come over and tax all of us, by eating all of our starburst (those were are his favorite).


I am excited to see what Halloween in Tahoe is like. I know back at home so many teens dress really skanky because they can get away with it, and the temperature is still kinda warm. I am sure it's going to be nice and cold, maybe that will make for less risque costumes... No one really decorates from as far as I can see. There are some pumpkins here and there but not like at home. I know in Castaic, it was always a big deal breaking out all of the decorations putting them all up in the trees, and all over your front door. Hanging spiderwebs and scary looking spooks and then going to your neighbor's homemade haunted houses in their garages.

Anyways we are looking forward to the festivities. Can you tell that work is slow and I am bored?

Funny, Funny, Ha, Ha, Ha!

I found a new website that made me laugh. And if I know my family well enough they will all find this funny as well. I am thinking about giving these out for Christmas presents, so if you want one, let me know which one is best for you.

www.despair.com

Check out the coffee mugs, the shirts, and the demotivators. They are all extremley witty and hilarious, and for the most part -- the TRUTH.

Enjoy!

Cassowaries...

Are birds that are native to Austrailia. They are flightless birds with 3 huge 5inch claws (almost like daggers), a big scary beak, can charge up to 35 miles an hour and can leap over 3 feet in the air (according to the Guinness Book of World Records, they are the worlds most dangerous bird). Some Cassowaries can reach up to 6feet tall! Supposedly, according to a few reports that I have read, they haven't killed anyone since 1926, but there are many close calls, with broken ribs, legs broken and gashed. Other than that they love to go into the towns and cities, and peck at windows with their crazy beaks, and torment pets and other animals.

These birdies are a little too scary for me. Who would want to deal with that everyday? Look at these things:

I don't think that I will ever be visiting Austrailia after seeing these strange prehistoric looking creatures. Eeeek.

It's October PINKtober!

My, my, the year has gone by fast. I can't believe that it is already October 1st. But the month of October has some really fun things to look forward to. First of all it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Which means I get to wear pink all the time! After my mom passed away, I became Breast Cancer crazy. I buy pretty much anything that is pink and gives a good percentage of their profits to Susan G. Komen, or any other breast cancer research. I have multiple shirts, 2 bracelets, 1 necklace, 3 pins (I wear those at work everyday), a gardening nozzle and a broom. I actually donated my old vehicle (the '97 champange colored Ford Escort Wagon -- which was so lovely donated to me by Aunt Linda), to the Susan G. Komen fund. Too bad I didn't see the amount on my tax 'refund'.



The other reason why October is so fun, is of course because of HALLOWEEN! Halloween is so much fun. I love getting dressed up and seeing everyone in costumes. My favorite costumes are the most creative ones. When I was a kid, I remember dressing up as a dalmation, Cinderella, 50's poodle girl (which Grandma made a poodle skirt for me) and a witch. Then my freshman year some girlfriends and I got together and decided to be the crew of Sleeping Beauty. My friend Natalie was Sleeping Beauty and made a pink shimmery dress. Then Brittney, Kelly and I were the three fairies. I was the blue one, Merryweather. Brittney was Flora, the red one, and Kelly was Fauna, the green one. I wish I had a picture of us, but all of my pictures were lost in the move. This will have to suffice.

"Actor Killed Cat In Jealous Rage"

This is TERRIBLE!!!! My manager showed me the headliner today, because she knew I loved cats. Here's the scoop on this horrible "mistake" (the stupid excuse the actor gave to the courts)

NEW YORK - A trial has begun in the case of a baseball player-turned-actor accused of brutally killing a cat in a jealous rage after complaining that his ex-girlfriend cared more for the feline than she did for him. Assistant District Attorney Leila Kermani said the cat named Norman died with broken teeth, broken ribs, a broken leg, a torn tongue, massive internal injuries including bruised lungs and a bruised liver and a chest cavity filled with blood. "The defendant, in a fit of anger and rage, beat a defenseless animal to death," Kermani told the jury in her opening remarks Wednesday. "The defendant killed Norman simply because he was an angry, jealous and drunken bully."

Former New York Mets baseball minor leaguer Joseph Petcka, 37, is on trial on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals for killing Norman on March 27, 2007, after a night of heavy drinking. He faces up to two years in prison if convicted. 'Tragic accident' Petcka's lawyer, Charles Hochbaum, admitted his client kicked the 8-year-old tabby and "swatted him really hard" after the cat bit him, but he said his client did not mean to kill him. "This was a tragic accident," Hochbaum said. "It was not intentional." Hochbaum complained the district attorney's office never offered his client a plea deal. He said outside court he believes that was because of the publicity the case attracted and the urgings of cat fanciers.

Norman's owner, Lisa Altobelli, testified she had dated Petcka about six weeks before he killed her cat. She said one night they quarreled and he began drinking heavily. She said she went to bed to avoid him but he woke her around 3 a.m. by putting his knee in her ribs and complaining that Norman had attacked him. Altobelli, a Sports Illustrated reporter, said she left the apartment after Petcka refused to calm down. She said Petcka had complained, "You love that cat more than you love me," but she had no idea Norman would be in danger. When she returned home Norman did not meet her at the door as usual. She found his body under her bedside table.

Petcka, a pitcher briefly in the Mets' minor league system in 1992, later appeared in a paper towel commercial and had small roles in "Sex and the City" and other television shows. Hochbaum said his client had more recently worked as a bartender and waiter.

San Francisco Has It All Backwards...

Wow. What an adventorous weekend... Ryan and I celebrated our 2year anniversary. We drove down to San Jose and spent the night at the San Jose Hilton. We had a really nice room up on the 12 floor. Ryan and I both said to each other that we don't think we've ever stayed that high up in a hotel before. We had a beautiful view of down town San Jose. When we checked in the agent was really sweet and gave us 2 free coupons to the bar/restaraunt (up to $11.95 per coupon). Ryan and I ordered some porkchops from room service and enjoyed our night.

The next morning we were up and ready to get to San Francisco. The drive was easy, no traffic and we didn't get lost. We drove through the city and stopped for some lunch and over the Golden Gate bridge we went to get to our second hotel in San Rafael. We checked in at the Embassy Suites San Rafael and hung out in the hotel room, and ordered more room service for dinner. The next morning we ate our breakfast, checked out and started driving to the bay. We were heading back over the Golden Gate bridge, when we hit a toll booth.

First of all I would like to point out -- they didn't have any prior notification of how much the toll would be. I had $2 in cash, so I figured that should be enough. And sure enough we get through all the lines, and the toll is $3!! I only had my debit card and we had used all of the change in the car for the parking meters. The gentleman was nice enough to say that he would find a dollar and that we were free to go. And off for a wonderful day in the bay.

Ryan had never done any of the touristy things like Fisherman's Wharf or the wax museum. So we started out at Ghiradelli's square. Went through the shop to get our free chocolate and bought something so our parking could be validated. We walked down the street to the pier, passing all of the nifty stores and street vendors. We ended up at Pompei's Grotto for lunch. It was a nice little seafood restaraunt right on the shore. Ryan had a lobster and shrimp pasta, and I ate some of the best cod fish and chips, I have ever eaten. And their tartar sauce was to die for. After we were done, we rolled ourselves out of the restaraunt in search for Fisherman's Wharf. When we found it we walked all the way down and back, peeked in all of the shops -- including the cutest purse shop! We decided it was getting late, so we headed home.

We got into the car and headed over the Bay Bridge. And got stopped at another toll. Once again, no notification of how much the toll was, and there was no sign saying "if you do not have cash get off NOW". So once again Ryan and I pull up to the toll with $2 and some change in my hand. The toll was $4! I explained to the man what the situation was and tried to hand him the $2 and some change and he wouldn't take it. He told me that I would recieve a fine in the mail, and it was up to 100 fine! I was appauled. That put the biggest damper on our wonderful weekend.

Between one way streets, toll bridges and hippies everywhere... San Francisco has it all backwards.

Update: I recieved the fine. And it was $25 for evasion of a toll, and then the original $4 fee. Hmmmm... have I mentioned that San Francisco is REALLY backwards?

To Be Replaced.

Hopefully what I am assuming is true (that good 'ole Francy-Pants is in kitty heaven), really is true or Francis wont be very happy when he comes home to find a replacement cat. We're getting a new one!!! That's the only thing that is going to cheer me up. Ryan and I are going to wait until maybe November to get a new kitten, but we already have one type of kitty in mind. We both want to get a orange tabby or maybe a calico, it has to be a boy... and we kind of want a kitty with blue eyes. I know, I'm crazy for thinking I'm going to find a blue eyed, male, orange kitty... but I guess it's just some wishful thinking.

Missing Frances Francis

He is gone. My little kitty Frances Francis is has dissapeared. There is as long story about the spelling of his name, but I will shorten it. I always wanted to spell it with an "es" since that's the way my mom had it spelt (if we're getting technical it's the female way to spell it), but since he is a boy Ryan pointed out it has to be spelt Francis, but I guess it doesn't really matter no one ever called him a boy anyways.

Anyways, we noticed that the house was too quiet mid-Monday morning. We had friends from SoCal visiting us for the weekend so it was possible that the door was left ajar and he had gotten out. He has escaped a few times before but has always come back the next morning for food.

Well now here we are after 2 days and 2 nights, still no sign of him. I am really upset... he was my child and now I don't know where he is. I don't know if someone else took him in, if a bear or coyote ate him for a snack or if he is hurt, scared and alone. It's all just too much for me.

Since I am missing him so much I figured I would post some pictures of how silly of a kitty he was.

Here he is sleeping on Ryan.

Staring out into oblivion.

Resting on my chest

Sitting in the bathtub. His favorite spot in the house.

The house feels so empty without him here. I wish he would just come home or I would find him dead. I don't rest easy not knowing where his furry butt is.

So now all that Ryan and I can do is wait... Hopefully he will come home.

Free Tickets To Where??? I'll Take 'Em!

I know, I know its been a while since I acutally updated about me. I celebrated my birthday last week -- thank you for all of the birthday love. I had a great time. I worked all morning and came home to a bouquet of flowers, a present and a cake! The present was in a Disney Princess gift bag, the present itself was Peter Pan on DVD. And then the cake was Alice in Wonderland!!! Ryan did an awesome job tying Disney into everything! I was so proud of him, lol.






Hold up... I was just interuppeted at work with a man holding a camera phone. He asked "Are you Meghan?" and I answered, "Yes". And he says, "Smile to your Aunt Heather!!" I was so confused... My Aunt Heather?? How does this dude know her?? Sure enough Mr. Fordyce works with her... and she told him I work at Embassy (I think), lol. Anyways we had a nice chat about Auntie Heador... And I asked him how his room was and he told me he had a stinky 2 queen smoking suite. I told him that the room just wouldn't do for a co-worker of my Auntie, so I switched him to a much better room. A king non smoking suite on the 6th floor looking over the Gondola. He was stoked... I love to make my guest's happy.

Anyways -- to the actual reason why I am writing the blog... I got to see a Sheryl Crow and James Blunt concert last night. The venue was the same place that Robert & Alison played at... but this time I was in the bleachers... I guess I can't be VIP everytime. Now the story of how I got the concert tickets. I was at work (as usual) and a guest walked up to the desk and asked if he could ask a stupid question. When guests say that, I try to be as positive as possible and reinforce like a kindergarten teacher that "no question is a stupid question". Then he mentions that he had 2 back up tickets to the show and he's not going to use them because he got some 5th row seats and wanted to know if I could use the tickets. Well DUH I can use the tickets... I loved Mr. Nakamoto. (Odd, an asain at a Sheryl Crow concert??) JUST KIDDING!!! :)

I had an awesome time, I ended up going with Ryan's friend Will, since Ry had to work. We had an awesome time, minus the two drunk old couples next to me. They were so drunk one of the ladies kept saying she wanted to leave unless Sheryl came on, but then her husband is telling her he bought Sheryl Crow tickets just for her, and they just have to be paitient. So he sends her off stumbling to find another beer to shut her up. Ya know the best way to deal with a drunk is to make them get more drunk...??? RRRRIIIIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTT

James Blunt was an awesome performer, for his songs being so depressing his show was so lively. He cracked a few jokes about his 'miserable' songs. He was super cute too, gotta love the Brits! Sheryl looked great for being in remisson with breast cancer and over 40, her vocal was phenomenal (of course), granted she did get a little horase around the end of the show. She was pretty political as well. She wrote a song "Gas Is Free" talking about in 2012 how she thinks gas could be free, blah blah blah. She also talked about peace and the war, this and that...

Well that is about it for now, getting off work and it's my FRIDAY! WEEEEEEE!!!!!

Baffs

This made me laugh.

The Dummy Picture of the Day.

No explanation neccesary.

Thanks Georgie.

Funny E-Mail

Got this e-mail from a co-worker and I knew immediatley that my weird family would get a kick out of this.

Dog and Cat Diaries

Excerpts from Dog's Diary:









8:00 am - Dog food! My favourite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favourite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favourite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favourite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favourite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favourite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favourite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favourite thing!
6:00 pm - Oooh, Bath. Bummer.
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favourite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favourite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favourite thing!

Excerpt from Cat's Diary:





Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now................

Hail in July?!?!

I have never lived anywhere where it is less than 80 degrees in the middle of July. So you can imagine it was quite a surprise when I was driving home from getting a sandwich with Ryan and it started raining, and then by the time we got home it was thundering and lighting and HAILING. I mean serious hail. I decided to go outside and take some video to show you of this freak event.

Crazy, crazy stuff. Well my sister, Caitin has been getting really creative lately with digital imaging. She has a program called Photofiltre that is basically free photoshop. I wanted her to make something cool for me so I sent her a bunch of random pictures and look what she did

I think it's perfect. Thank you Caity! So since I am so bored and I can't sleep tonight I am also going to post more pictures of the Alison Krauss & Robert Plant concert. And also some from Victoria and Carlos' wedding. :]

The Man With Common Sense

I absolutley adore this man. He had an amazing view of life and I feel this message should be spread around to [re]open people's eyes.


A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways ,but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...




Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember, to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

The Family Went Home...

And so they went. It was a great weekend with the fam. It was awesome to see my sisters, Caitlin has about another inch until she is taller than me. And EeppsterPeepster is growing up so fast!!! We all went to dinner at Hard Rock the first night they got in. The next day I worked and got off at 3:30, went to willcall with my dad to get the tickets and then we all went to the show. I had to be at work the next morning (again) at 7am, so I was exhausted by the end of the weekend. On Sunday my dad and the girls went on the gondola only to find that they couldn't get off and had to ride all the way back down because of t-storm and lighting warnings (thank goodness he got a refund!!!). Later that night we had dinner on the beach at Ryan's work -- he is a very good waiter. We all watched the sunset, went down to the water and played on the jungle-gym like the crazy kids we are. Monday morning we went down to the beach for some more fun and I decided not to wear sunscreen and got a massive burn! The other two girls were smart and wore sunscreen but I was just trying to get any color, and now I am a lobster.

Its not the best picture (since it's off my phone) but you can still see the red and the white. That is the last time I am ever going to not wear sunscreen again. I forget we are a mile closer to the sun than the rest of you... lol. Then the family left back down to LA. I miss them so much already. I think my sisters are already bugging my dad about when they're next going to visit. They're ready for the snow!

WOW

...is all I can say. Last night was amazing!! The Robert Plant & Allison Krauss concert was absolutley fantastic. Sharon Little opened up for them -- and if you don't know who she is you need to go check her out. Her new album is called Perfect Time for a Breakdown, and she has one of the most spectacular vocals I have ever heard. I am a very lucky girl to know her. She started working with Scot Sax (who my dad has known for over 10 years), they wrote a bunch of songs together... actually they wrote a bunch of really really good songs together. Sharon was hand picked by Robert and Allison to go on tour with them, which is one of the coolest opportunities of a lifetime.


Sharon went on at exactly 7:30, and Ryan and I were dead center 12 rows back. My lucky dad and sisters got into the 6th row. She sang a set of 7 songs, which all were amazing. She wrote the song 'Child in a Storm' for my sisters and I. It's about my mom... and she could barely get the words out to dedicate it to us... But Scot helped her. Sharon said "This song is very close to my heart....**pause pause pause**" and then she and Scot said together "this is for Evann, Caitlin and Meghan". And next thing you know I am crying uncontrollably. It was beautiful. She finished her set and the entire crowd in front of me stood up and applauded. It was wonderful.


They changed sets and then Allison and Robert came on. Their voices together are awe-inspiring. Robert played a few Led Zeppelin songs, and Allison sang backups. T-Bone Burnett was AMAZING as well. And of course, they played quite a few songs from their album together.
My dad came back over with the backstage passes and we hung out in Sharon's trailor and watched the show on a big screen on the side of the stage. Caitlin and Evann had so much fun hanging out with Sharon 'The Rockstar'. Hahhaahaha. Evann was 5ft away from Robert when she went out to got to the bathroom. But everytime Robert or Allison would leave stage we would all have to go into Sharon's trailer because they didn't want to be bothered.

I came back into work today and talked to a few co-workers who were also there who said that Sharon was better than Allison, and she would have rather watched Sharon perform the whole time.

I will have more pictures coming soon!

My Family Says I Need To "Update"

So here I am... updating... My 'vacation' was not much of a vacation, that's for damn sure. Ryan and I had a great time, but there was very few minutes that I was able to relax and sleep. Our drive down the 395 was beautiful. It was my first time ever going through Mammoth, Bishop and Mojave. We stopped a few times to use the restrooms and saw the highest gas price EVER -- $5.19/gal -- of the medium grade... It's CRAZY! We made it in to Valencia a day early because Ryan and I both had the day off and I got an employee rate at the Best Western I used to work at. We surprised our families and hung out with friends that night. The rest of the weekend was a whirlwind of friends, family and fun.

The wedding was beautiful. Our friend Victoria looked like a princess, and Carlos looked very handsome. The ceremony was short and sweet, the pastor is the same pastor who orchestrated her father's funeral, so we heard a lot of stories about what V's dad wanted to say to her on her wedding day. I cried (granted I always cry at any wedding... it's just so beautiful, I know I am a major dork). We stayed in Pasadena since the wedding ended around 1:00am.

The next morning we got up a little late and drove back to Castaic for the family brunch. I was a little nervous because it was the first time that Ryan's mom had met my dad (after dating for almost 2 years and living together just about the same amount of time). Jan is one of the sweetest women I have ever met, and she adored my dad - whew what a big weight lifted off my shoulders, lol. Otherwise the brunch was delicious and it was great to see my family. All of my favorite aunts and uncles. I met my aunt Linda's new roommate who had the CUTEST little chiuawha EVER. It was so nice to see my dad and my uncle Vince and his kids too! Then we drove to Saugus to pick up our friends Wendy and Troy. They drove back up with us and helped us save on gas.

We got back around 10:30pm, and we are driving down the main road and all the sudden fire trucks are rushing down the street followed by ambulances... We heard there sirens for another 2 hours, which is a big deal up here in this small town, which means stuff is going down... I got up the next morning at 6am to get to work by 7am and sure enough come to find out it my work on fire! A dryer has some combustable material in it and when it was turned on it got hot enough and combusted!! The fire was contained inside of the dryer so nothing was damaged, but boy did I have to comp a bunch of rooms the next morning!

Frisbee Golf aka Hippie Golf

First off -- Happy 11th Birthday Evann! Today is my youngest sister's birthday. And she makes sure that everyone knows that Evann and eleven rhyme :) Hope she's enjoying her special day! I think we are going to chat on Skype tonight.

Other than that since it's been getting so warm up here, Ryan, my roomie Simon, his friends Jeremy and Chris and I all went to the Bijou Park and played some frisbee golf. This was Ryan and my first time playing the game, but we had a blast. The park has an entire frisbee golf course set up with 19 holes and signs that show you which way you should be going and how much the par is set as so on and so forth. If you have never heard of frisbee golf aka hippie golf (as Ryan calls it) how it works is everyone has their frisbee and you throw it towards the goal, and wherever it lands you walk over to it, pick the frisbee up and throw it again. It's pretty simple and easy and a lot of fun.

Now the reason why Ryan calls if hippie golf is because it's extremley cheap. Once you get a frisbee -- that's all you need! It's not like regular golf where you have to have a club for this, a putter for that and some other weird doohickey for that. You also don't have to go buy special clothes or special shoes for the silly dress code.

We had so much fun, the boys were drinking beers -- not ME -- and we kept loosing our target and we didnt know which ways to go, but Chris led us back to the right course. Simon, Chris and Jeremy were a LOT better than Ry and I were. I think I was 5 over par every time. I tried to keep throwing like an acutal frisbee but it always veered wayy over to the right. Ryan eventually gave up on throwing like a frisbee and started doing the 'tomahawk' throw, that's when he started getting more accurate.

All in all I had a great time. I think when I get off work today we might go do a round... Until then I get to stand here (I don't ever get to sit because I work at a hotel) bored outta my mind!

Happy Mother's Day...

Happy Mother's Day!! I love this day because it gives me a reason to talk about my amazing mom, all day long... lol. If you never met her -- she was pretty fantastic, and anyone who has met her can attest. So, Ryan and I went to Safeway yesterday and picked up the most gorgeous flowers to celebrate mother's day. We brought them home and I trimmed the ends and put them in a pretty red vase. And I think they are so pretty so I decided to post some pics...

aren't they so vibrant!

And since it is mother's day I am going to share a few stories about my awesome mommy.

When I was a toddler she would put me in laundry baskets and she would push me down hallways... I felt like I was going 100 miles an hour -- I laughed for hours.
I remember when she won Alanis Morrisette tickets on the radio, this was back in 1995, and we drove down to Irvine and the concert was at Irvine Meadows, now known as the Verizon Wireless Ampitheater. My mom booked a hotel room in Irvine because she didn't want to drive home. At the concert I kept smelling this weird smell from people smoking "cigaretts" behind us and I kept bugging her about it... well she explained that to me later. The concert was amazing and one of my most fond memories with her. :]
I can always remember when I would record really late at night with my dad, she would turn off the tv and just listen. When I went upstairs to bed she would always have me come into her room and she would always tell me how much she loved to hear me sing.
I remember a few weeks before she passed away we went to AAA to get the handicapped placard for the van. I drove her to the AAA building and she was so happy that we could go christmas shopping and park right in front at Target and the mall!


Otherwise I have to show you the most ridiculous thing I saw regarding mother's day today on the internet...

I found this on MSN today and it had some of the WORST advice -- ever. All the article mentions is how some people can feel. It barely gives any actual advice. She talks about acknowledging that you are sad and upset that you are missing your mother -- which people do on a daily basis, and if you have been through grief counseling you already are over this step. And then she mentions also acknowledging no one can replace your mother... Something I have also done a long time ago... She also mentioned on focusing on being a good mother yourself (which couldn't help anyone who is like me and not a mom -- except to Frances but that is different). And that was about it. Oh and she also talked about having an estranged relationship that today is a good day to get back in touch -- which also I could not relate to.

Overall, I found none of this information helpful, what so ever. To be honest, I would have expected a little more from MSN.

May Flowers...

The snow has melted -- finally! There is green grass everywhere except my front yard which is full of dirt. The skies are blue and its gonna be a high of 75 this next week! I am so excited! My dad is coming up to Tahoe and visiting me at the end of June with the girls. We are going to go out onto the lake and go up on the mountain, maybe do some hiking. Also one night we are going to see one of his friends open for Robert Plant and Allison Krause at Harrah's. Before that happens though I have to go back down to SoCal for a wedding on June 5th. This wedding is going to be really expensive. Between gas, hotel rooms, dress & tux, food, and the wedding present Ryan and I are going broke! But it is going to be a beautiful wedding!

That's all for now. Maybe I will post something funny later

This Is How I Feel About Coffee...

Coffee is a godsend. I swear. Every morning I have to be at work at 7am. Therefore I wake up around 6 or 6:30 depending on if I have to shower. I am a crabby mess in the mornings and anyone who has ever spent the night at my house or has lived with me knows that I do not wake up on the good side of the bed -- ever. I whine and bitch about everything - I'm tired, I don't want to wake up, my hair is ugly, the shower isn't warm enough, I can't find my sock, I'm hungry, I don't want to go to work. I say all of these things every morning. I'm surprised Ryan puts up with me.

Anyways the second I stumble into work I start my coffee. The aroma fills the air and it smells so good, plus breakfast is being served on the second floor - so that smells pretty good too. But as soon as I pour my first cup and put some Hazelnut creamers and have one sip I am a completley different person. I am chipper and happy and the fog in my brain starts to clear out.

I love all kinds of coffee. I love frappicinos from Starbucks, I love my regular coffee with hazelnut at work, I love iced caramel macciahtos from Starbucks, I love white chocolate mochas from Starbucks... mmmmmmm coffee coffee coffee. The only thing is, I don't like plain black coffee, something about it doesn't do it for me. Maybe the caffiene isn't enough and I need the extra sugar too.

So coffee count for today is 3 cups.

Caitlin Got Braces?!?!!?!?!?!?!

So I call my dad yesterday to let him know that I had my 90-day review at work, and it went over very well! (I got a 3% raise!! YIPPPEEE!) And we were catching up and then he gave the phone to Evann and we were talking about how much extra homework she is getting to prepare her for 6th grade, her 4/4 on her Science test and how she trims Sara-Bella's nails. Next thing i know she tells me that Caitlin got her braces on today. And I was shocked! No one had told me ANYTHING about Caitlin thinking about getting braces, let alone actually getting them put on. I don't have a problem with braces - granted I am a little jealous because her smile is going to be SO beautiful, and mine needs some work. But I was just shocked that I didn't know. I talk to my dad everyother day, and text Caitlin all the time. And it just came out of no where. She sent me a picture though and I have it right here.

I am definetly jealous. She's gonna be so gorgeous! I can't wait. She's gonna keep them on for 2 years and then after she gets them off she is going to have a upper retainer and a wire on the back of her bottom teeth. I love my sisters!

Summertime is Approaching!

Summer is definetly right around the corner. It's been getting warm up here. Our high last weekend was 70. When I spoke to my dad he said that he was in Moorpark for Cait's soccer game and it was in the upper 90's. Holy Smokes!! The high 90's in April?!?!? This is proof of global warming. It never got that hot in April, maybe only once, but he said its been crazy hot the entire week.

I know we all wish that we could have more money. But I wish that I could have more money to go see concerts... I recently found out that Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick are playing at Harvey's (across the street from where I work). Heart is one of my favorite bands - ever. My mom got me really turned on to them when I was younger, and I have been singing their music ever since. It would be awesome to see Journey too since the only Journey songs I have ever heard live were from a Journey cover band my friend Garrett use to play in. I really wish I could go but tickets are so damn expensive. Its like $49.99 for one ticket and then you add on all the taxes and it comes out to over $150.00!! And I don't have $150.00 to spare.

The other concert that I am really interested in seeing is Death Cab For Cutie. They are kind of an unknown Indie band. They have had one or two hits on the radio, but for the most part people haven't heard of them. I saw them perform in New York when I went with my choir during my senior year, and they were AMAZING!! I was checking on ticketmaster for their upcoming tour and noticed all of the shows were sold out. So I checked on E-Bay to see how much tickets were selling on there - it was close to $200 per ticket!!! So then I go to work a few days later and sure enough sitting right on the counter is a print out of Death Cab's NEW dates... I go onto Ticketmaster to see how much tickets are - and for 2 tickets with all the stupid taxes it comes out to 108.19. Ugh. I guess that this summer will not be the summer of concerts.

Otherwise - I talked to Aunt Heather on Skype for the first time a few nights ago, and that was tons of FUN! It was so crazy to have her in my computer! Hahaaaa. She looks nice and tan! I also won a free nights stay at the Hilton in San Jose at my work party! Yay for work parties - free food, free drinks, free night stays! Gotta love corporations!

Cheapest Dessert Ever...

For those of you who believe Tahoe has expensive dining, you are mistaken. I shall now present to you the cheapest dessert ever. It was only 99cents. Amazing...

These Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Swirl cookies were only ninety-nine cents. So yummy in my tummy. Hahahahaa.

I have been lazy lately, and work has been SUPER busy so I haven't had too much time to blog. I will soon post about my trip down to Castaic, and about my first time snowboarding.

Anyways, I had a great day today because Ryan and I had the day off and we spend it just hanging out and had an awesome Hamburger Helper dinner. :]

much love
-m

My First Day of Snowboarding... Before 36 Hours in Castaic.

Yep, that's right 36 hours in Casteezy. It was one hell of a trip, let me tell you. But before I start on that let me tell you about my First Day Snowboarding!

Ryan and I both had Monday off (consequently St. Patty's Day). The season is almost over and Ryan really wanted me to go up on the mountain and try snowboarding again... this time with his 'experienced' help. I rented my snowboard at work and I took it home and practiced flipping over and standing up. I felt more comfortable this time than I did last time I attempted (might I remind you I only lasted about 5 minutes) Anyways, I made it on to the first ski lift just fine... but getting off the ski lift was a different story. I fell everytime until the 5th (and last) time. I did pretty well on the first green run called Patsy's. I mean there was definelty a lot of standing up, falling down - standing up, falling down. and any time that I felt that I was going too fast I would just fall anyways... because I was scared. I had some really good wipe-outs! After I was done with Patsy's I took another chair lift to a bigger blue run. As soon as I got up to the top of that chair lift I forgot EVERYTHING I learned on Patsy's. I could barely stand up and I kept falling down but there was a small cliff with a bunch of trees on the left side of the run. And everytime I stood up I kept going to the left straight into the trees. It was so scary!! After that I got overly discouraged and started walking. Yes, walking.

Ryan and I trekked about 2 miles across 5 runs to get to his lodge. The views during the walk/hike were amazing!!

The view from up top!

Ryan leading the way to East Peak Lodge

Using my camera to take a panoramic picture!

See!! There is me all the way in the back!

When we finally got there we had lunch from the barbeque, for FREE - if we would have bought the food it would have been close to $45. Can you believe that? We had a great time with his friends and co-workers. Ryan's boss Albert dressed up as a leprechaun. It was the funniest site I have seen in a while.

After we were done with the lodge we took one more lift and got back onto the gondola and headed home. On our way home is when we got the call about a check waiting for Ryan at our community college in Valencia. The check was left over money from his financial aid for last semester and it was a big chunk of money. And that is when we decided to make a little mission back to SoCal.

My Own Opinion On American Idol

I'm bored... and before I sit down and write about my 36 hour trip spent Castaic I wanted to share some of my favorite american Idol performances so far this year.

First I will start with Brooke White's "Love is a Battlefield"

I love the fact that she went the completely opposite way of the traditional version. And it was one of my mom's favorite songs... ever.

Next is Carly Smithson... she's from Ireland... and basically, I love her. She is amazing. Here is Carly singing "Come Together"

She has the strongest voice of all the other competitors, and she has this charm when she's on stage, I truly hope she wins...

Here is Carly singing "Crazy on You" by Heart... one of my favorite bands... ever.

Might I add... she was out of breath at the end of that performance. Her tone and strength of her voice just blows me away... Everytime.

Lastly my other favorite is Jason Castro's version of "If I Fell", I don't know what it is, his voice is so soothing and delicate. It's a beautiful song...

I will definetly keep updating what I think about all the different performances.