Je t'aime aujourd'hui Plus qu'hier Mais bien moins que demain.

6-25-09

2009-06-26T18:47:00.003-04:00

Unreal.

Best Day!

2009-05-12T20:04:00.003-04:00

I'm having a great week!! Today was an exceptionally great day! I started work at Enterprise and I love my boss, coworkers, and job. I drove about 20 or so cars today out in the sunshine and met a ton of new people. I wash the cars too so I spent a lot of time outdoors today. Perfect job for me for right now!

I also checked my grades today to see if my final grades are in AND I HAVE A 4.0! I am beyond stoked on that. Last semester I made Dean's list with all A's but one grade. I got a C in a class. This semester I got straight A's and I am so happy. I love school.

Also Bill has been cooking out of this new cookbook (How To Cook Everything) and everything he has made has been amazing. Plus it's awesome when anyone else cooks for me, especially when it's this good. I highly suggest this book to any cooks out there. Here's the link: http://www.howtocookeverything.tv/

I had to chance to move back to Boca this August, but I am going to stay another year in Bloomington since I am doing so well in school. I don't want to transfer right now and risk messing it up. As sad as I am that I am not going to be living with Grammy there is some good news.

I signed for my apartment for next year and it's amazing!! My friends MJ and Sara needed roommates too and we looked around for some three bedroom units. Every one bedroom and most three bedroom places were way more than I was looking to spend considering how little I have paid the last two years for rent. Then Sara found a place that was considerably cheaper than the rest.

Turns out this is the nicest apartment I've looked at yet in Bloomington. It is attached to a local business and the landlords run that business. Either they don't know how much other people are charging for rent or they don't care. The apartment (and building) is only a few years old. It's a three bedroom three full bath apartment with sliding glass door access from each bedroom to our balcony. We have a sky lite in the kitchen and an island. The floors are porcelain tile, the cupboards are oak and the counter tops are marble. We have a flat range stove and built in microwave. A side by side fridge with the water and ice on the door (ha, I'm excited about that. don't judge me!) It has a garbage disposal, dishwasher, and washer/dryer. AND it's in the location we were all wanting that is across the street from a health food market and near all our friends. I really am excited about it.

Really everything has been amazing lately and I couldn't be happier :)

H1N1 influenza A

2009-05-03T01:46:00.004-04:00

Am I missing something?? At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist I have to say...

Why is everyone donning masks which doesn't stop the spread of 'swine flu' anyway (although I've never seen someone in a mask, so is that all media hype too??) and freaking out over the flu?!?!?! I understand we have no natural defense against H1N1, but it's only going to kill you if the common flu would. Did you know that 200,000 people a year are hospitalized for the common flu and 35,000 of those people sadly don't make it through flu season? And those figures only apply to the United States. There are 9 confirmed deaths from H1N1 and 658 cases that span across 16 countries. I don't understand why people are freaking out and I feel like I'm missing something. This is why I refuse to watch or read the news very often and when I do watch I look around in the neighborhood I'm in and talk to other people about their geographic locations to see if they see anything the news is talking about where they live. 9 times out of 10 it's just desperate attempts by the media to gain viewers.

Don't believe the hype.

C is for cookie and cookie is for me. nom nom nom

2009-05-01T09:30:00.006-04:00

I have been making these cookies for about a month now. I made up the recipe after eating Insomnia's peanut butter cup deluxe cookies and I think these are pretty close to the same thing. I love making them and sharing them with my friends. yea yea. anyway. I looked up as many baking secrets as I could find to throw into this recipe and I am glad I did. If you bake and wanna give them a go here is the recipe.

Cookies!!
yields about 16-18 medium to large cookies
nutritional facts: Instant diabetes

Ingredients

* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup unsalted real butter, melted
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 3 Tablespoons real vanilla extract
* 1 egg room temp
* 1 egg yolk room temp
* 1 cup peanut butter chips
* 1 cup milk chocolate chips
* 8 Reese's pb cups cut in fourths and frozen (you can buy a package of 8 for under $2)

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar by hand until well blended. Stir in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. By hand mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the pb chips and the chocolate chips.
3. Refrigerate for an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 325.
5. line cookie sheets with parchment paper and drop cookie dough balls onto sheet. Leave 2 inches between cookies.
6. Bake for 13 minutes or until the cookies look just slightly undercooked and remove from oven. They wont seem like you cooked them long enough at first, but they will set.
7. Pull the parchment paper off the sheet with the cookies still on the paper and set on cold counter top. Immediately place one or two pieces of a frozen pb cup on top and push down into cookie.
8. Run cookie sheet under cold tap water until it's room temperature and then line with parchment paper and drop the next set of cookies. It is really important that the sheets be at room temperature.
9. Leave the cooling cookies on the paper on the counter until the next batch is almost ready to come out of the oven. Then transfer them to a cooling rack and take the ones from the cooling rack and move them to a tray or tummy or wherever you're going to keep the cookies.

and parchment paper can be reused over and over until the cookies stick on it. :)

awesome video

2009-05-01T09:27:00.001-04:00

People have been posting a lot of music videos on facebook lately and I actually really loved two of them. So thanks for sharing everyone and here are the ones that I loved...

logic

2009-04-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

Mexico and beyond

2009-03-27T15:24:00.011-04:00

I just got back from an amazing two week vacation to Boca Raton, Florida and then off on a 5 day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. Isn't it funny how vacation can give you a whole new perspective on...everything?!

I got to spend time with Grandma back at home in Boca which I needed more than I realized. My friends Madison and Jake just happen to be in the area and stopped down for a visit. Jake and I hit up Armani and he got some new swim trunks and I got a new silk dress and a shirt. I love them :)

I got to go to Gumbo Limbo to see the nature conservatory. My favorite thing to do. I also got to go to Bookwise and get some books. My favorite book store. I am currently reading "On Intelligence" and I highly reccomend it for research style readers. It's no novel. It is written by Jeff Hawkins who invented the palm pilot and is about neuroscience and intelligence.

Grandma and I took a cruise on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas to Cozumel to see the ancient Mayan Ruins which was extra fun for me since I am studying that in World Civilization right now. I also signed up for the safari through the jungle and snorkeling. Cozumel's Punta Sur is supposed to be the 2nd best place for snorkeling in the world. The coral and reefs were beautiful and I saw a lot of tropical fish, but the part that was the most exciting was the barracuda that were swimming with me!!!! AHHH!!!!

I am the proud new owner of seven new pieces of art from the art auction. John the auctioneer and my new friend gave them to me for free :) They are large lithiograph's of these works:

Anatole Krasnyansky's Officer's Celebration #7
Emile Bellet's Quietude Bleue Au Chat (my 2nd Emile Bellet)
Itzchak Tarkay's Little Round Table #7
Linda Le Kinff's Romane
Marcus Glenn's Floatin with the Mojo
Charles Lee's Mythical Rose

I am waiting for them to arrive then I need to figure out how to frame them.

They had the best piano player/singer I have ever heard on the ship. He was better than some of the originals and he wasn't bad on the eyes either. He was putting on wigs and goofing around and was a great performer. Sitting and listening to him play with grandma and sometimes alone is how I made most of the friends I met on the trip including Kory the piano man. There is a picture of Kory and I together at the bottom of this post.

The food was amazing. I hear Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line with good food. I tried Mahi Mahi Tempura, escargot, duck, lamb, shrimp cocktails...among sooo many other things. Escargot was surprisingly delicious by the way.

I made a ton of new friends on the ship and I had a fantastic time. There is nothing I love more than being on ship. We had an ocean view stateroom with a porthole. The food was amazing. Everything was amazing :)

Neuroscience

2009-03-10T14:39:00.008-04:00

I've been getting books on Amazon about this social and affective neuroscience and neuropsychology. I have been watching talks on Ted.com about them too (I recommend Jeff Hawkins' talks) so I have all this on the brain. (Ba-ZING)

We don't see the affects of ourselves on other people at all. (Emotional contagion) When someone is told they brighten a room just by walking into it that person will never know what the person telling them knows about their affect on people. All they will ever know is what the room is like after they have entered it. They don't see the change from what it was like before they get into the room or what it is like after they leave it. Even if they were to watch themselves on video they wouldn't feel the affects they are having on the people in the room. That affect we have on people is so powerful! People that take the time to develop their social intelligence truly have an upper hand in life.

I want to do this

2009-03-09T16:12:00.003-04:00

I want to work in neuroscience so badly... and sociology. Together. Social Neuroscience. I also want to study Affective Neuroscience. I wonder if I can make up my own Major in college and make it that??? I'm looking at you IU!

I made the Dean's List

2009-03-06T03:30:00.002-05:00

I just got a certificate in the mail from my college saying I am on the Dean's List!!! I am so unbelievably proud of myself right now!!

Chess Club

2009-03-05T10:08:00.001-05:00

I love chess and I'm always trying to find people that play...and I never do. I am a new member of the "Robert A. Martin Memorial Chess Club Ladies' Auxiliary" and I'm in the middle of my first chess tournament. If you play chess too come get your nerd on with me at www.chess.com my screen name on there is 2mellymel

Lauren Eargle!

2009-03-04T10:24:00.008-05:00

Lauren Eargle went to middle school and high school with me until our junior year when she moved away. I hadn't seen her in eight years until this past weekend when she drove from the Dub-V to see me!! I had such a great weekend with her!! It felt like we hadn't been apart.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2009-03-04T10:16:00.002-05:00

Watch out for products with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It has been found to contain Mercury which is dangerous to humans in any quantity and it's in almost everything processed....

A Washington Post's Article from January 2009:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html

Look Around You

2009-03-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

Look Around You is hilarious. It's a satire on 1970's and 1980's educational programming.

For Emilie

2009-02-20T12:26:00.001-05:00

This is a great music video from a great tv show (How I Met Your Mother) for my great cousin...because it sums our homemade videos up...perfectly.

This is what I do in my spare time

2009-02-18T15:38:00.002-05:00

I will never get enough of Ted Talks...

Everyone knows how I feel about Kevin Bacon

2009-02-18T12:49:00.001-05:00

I need to make a dance video STAT! If you make one to this song and post it on youtube you could win the chance to !!!!!!be on stage with the Bacon Brothers!!!!!! and be in the official video. I'm just saying... GAH!

The upsides to the economy failing

2009-02-15T14:02:00.003-05:00

There are a lot of upsides to our economy taking a hit. I'm excited to see people enjoying the simple things in life again and spending more time with each other...in person...not via the internet or text.

Maybe people will get back to living within their means and using cash instead of credit cards. Learning to budget has helped me immensely. I budget for the entire year so there are no surprises and I don't try to do anything beyond what I know I can afford.

Maybe people will get into the LDS food storage and 72 hour kits that helped people in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. (click food storage or 72 hour kit above to read about them, the LDS know what's up!)

Maybe people will get back into feeding the birds and the squirrels, playing with their garden hose instead of going to big water parks, growing gardens for food, making homemade cards and sending snail mail, baking bread, reading books instead of paying $10 for a movie, reading books in the grass in the sun under the clouds, playing in the grass and finding bugs to look at, fishing, taking walks, picking fruit and veggies at their local farms and orchards, looking at the stars, going to $5 carload night at their local drive-in theater, potluck picnics, cooking, using their imaginations, making makeshift kites and climbing trees. The list of free and amazing things to do is endless!! Get out there!

I hope people are forced to get back to the free pleasures in life and I hope they get back into these things together.

speaking of the bright sides to the recession... http://www.brightsideoftherecession.com/

Turn that frown upside down

2009-02-14T11:36:00.005-05:00

I'm glad my heart's been broken.

It means I get to fall in love again!

track your eco footprint

2009-02-04T20:59:00.004-05:00

All of us affect the world around us in more ways than we realize. Smiling at a stranger could change the entire tone of that strangers day. Not texting someone back (my biggest pet peeve) might not seem like anything to you, but it might be a lot to the person waiting on the text. Taking the extra minute to hold open a door will not only make you feel better, but it'll make the person you held the door open for feel better too. Those are all such simple things you can do to affect the world around you.

Another way we affect the world around us is our Eco Footprint and just like all the things I mentioned above every little thing you do has a big impact...and not just on yourself. I wish people were more aware of the things they do and how it affects everything and everyone around them.

Take a minute to answer a few questions and see how much you are affecting the world around you...ecologically speaking. Then take a minute to smile at a stranger or make that call you've been meaning to make to your parents, or your grandparents, or your friend... they aren't going to be around forever, you know.

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/flash.html

Happy New Year! double oh nine!

2009-01-02T13:28:00.005-05:00

This year I will be keeping with tradition and doing something that scares me or that is new to me every day. This can be anything from studying a topic that normally wouldn't interest me or picking up a new book, Skydiving to taking a break dancing class to trying caviar. It's great motivation to do all those things I kind of wish I would do or that I'm a little afraid to try.

Plus I've found out a lot about myself doing this. There are things I would have never known I was good at or liked had I not tried. Like Yoga. In 2004 or 2005 I decided to step into the yoga class at my gym in Boca Raton because it was getting late and I hadn't done anything new that day. I ended up becoming a certified instructor. I would have never had the guts to go into that class alone if it wasn't for me pushing myself with this resolution. It made me realize the truth in the saying "The first step to success is showing up".

My new challenge with this resolution (since I've had it for three or four years) is to write down my new thing in my calendar every day to keep me motivated to find exciting things to try.

I have other resolutions too.
This year:
-I will say 'I love you' more
-worry less
-enjoy myself as a person more
-work harder
-spend less time on the net
-and read more

among other personal goals.

"Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold."

"There is nothing more important than goals and direction. What you obtain along the way will always be more valuable than the goal itself."

Hoosier Heights

2008-12-21T18:17:00.002-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINA!!!

We ended up going to Hoosier Heights Indoor Climbing Facility today for Christina's birthday. I have climbed before in Utah in the mountains and in Pennsylvania at a few spots. Indoor climbing seems A LOT harder to me. Here's a video for you to enjoying and laugh at while I cling on for dear life. I finally made it to the top with the help of Bill, Christina, and some kind strangers. Hahahah

LA

2008-12-07T21:22:00.027-05:00

I'm finally catching up from my trip to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving! Highlights of the trip-
*Thanksgiving with Adam and friends
*Meeting Adam Goldstein aka DJ AM and getting a picture (the guy in the plane crash with Travis Barker for those who don't know him by name.)

*Eating breakfast at Kitchen 24 and Adam Levine from Maroon 5 sitting behind meeee

*Seeing the House of Blues offices
*people in tents DAYS before the Jonas Brothers concert across the street
*hiking Runyon (it's better when it's called Funyon) Canyon and gagging when I got to the top! ha! And seeing the city and the sign from up there.

*Seeing the Temptations!!!!!!!!!! at Universal Studios!!!! "It was just my imaginaAation"
they had killer dance moves!

*Seeing our friend DJ Sleeper work his magic on the tables that night with friends.
*Sergio the cab driver that "bumped good rap" for us! BAH!
*Shopping on Melrose!!!!!!
*Seeing Big Black ride by on his motorcycle

*My new plaid dress that I've wanted FOREVER that Adam got me for my birthday while shopping :)

*Touring The Roosevelt Hotel where my friend Steph's dad was staying. ( I did not see Marylin Monroe's ghost in her mirror)

*Getting listed at The Kress and having security clear a path so we could walk in.
*Seeing a Phantom in the parking lot
*seeing a 360 view of the city from the rooftop lounge
*dancing on the 3rd floor
*the bacon wrapped hotdog from the kart lady in the parking lot. nom nom nom
*The amazing flea market on Sunday
*Astro burger ::droll:: and a traditional Sunday with Adam
*Lunch at a Thai place next door to LA Ink and accidentally being spotted by Kat Von D while taking pictures ::blush::

*Girl time with Miss Julie Moe

*Seeing the Hollywood sign at sunset and a great view of the city at sunset

*Seeing the Chinese Theater and all the freakishly small hand and feet prints of the stars

*Seeing the stars in the sidewalk!! Britney Spears and Kevin Bacon!!! GAH!

*Saw the Kodak Theater Where the Oscars are held

*Seeing and sneaking into Charlie Chaplin's House hehehe it was like a little hobbit villiage.

*and eating at the Mexican place Heidi and Spencer frequent haha, thank goodness they weren't there!

and so much more! I had such a wonderful trip! :)

#44

2008-11-09T13:17:00.004-05:00

Wash, Ad, Je, Mad, Mon, Ad, Jack, Van, Har, Ty, Po, Tay, Fil, Pie, Buch, Lin, John, Grant, Hay, Gar, Ar, Cleve, Har, Cleve, Mc, Roo, Ta, Wil, Har, Coo, Hoo, Roo, Tru, Ei, Ken, John, Nix, Ford, Car, Reag, Bush, Clint, Bush, O!!!!

I spent election night with my good friend Jenny. We watched the states change colors until finally Barack won!! Then we took it to the streets! We ran down the street yelling for Obama and high fiving everyone we passed. Kirkwood was alive all night. There were musicians on the corner, cars honking, people cheering and hugging in the streets. It was a beautiful day in history and I'm glad it happened during my lifetime!!

USA! USA! USA!

Birthday Recap!

2008-11-09T13:09:00.001-05:00

I have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to post, but lots of things are going on that I have wanted to post about!

I had my 25th birthday and it was amazing!! I celebrated for four days straight with some awesome friends. I attached some pictures. Thank you everyone who sent me cards and spent time with me!!

Highlights
-time warp on my birthday
-sneak attack
-Halloween and my birthday falling on the same weekend
-friends
-dinner at the Irish Lion
-Danielle and I playing cash cab with all our cab driver
-having DKE pledges drive me around all weekend
-my new pink dress
-turning 25!

Halloween recap!

2008-11-08T13:15:00.002-05:00

I decided to go as Jackie Brown!

Instead of doing school work

2008-11-03T13:33:00.004-05:00

Em tagged me, so here goes nothing...

10 years ago i . . .
1. had just turned 15 yesterday
2. was a freshman at Franklin Area High School
3. looked exactly the same as I do right now
4. would be in class right now terrified Mr. Etzel would call on me in Algebra bc I didn't do my homework...again...
5. abusing my hall pass privileges

5 things on my "to do list" today . . .
1. draw a still life before 6pm
2. write a report
3. make a timeline of my life for a presentation tomorrow
4. frequent myspace and facebook at least 100 more times
5. shower

5 snacks I like . . .
1. hot buffalo wing pretzels
2. hummus and pita chips and/or bread
3. snickers, why wait
4. cosmic brownies
5. apples

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire . . .
1. set up a retirement fund
2. pay off my debts
3. purchase a car...maybe
4. buy one thousand lollypops and send them to my ex fiance even though we hate each other
5. give give give

5 places I have lived . . .
1. Franklin Pennsylvania
2. Clintonville Pennsylvania
3. Boca Raton, Florida
4. Bloomington, Indiana
5. The moon

5 jobs that I have had . . . (in no order)
1. model
2. nanny
3. projectionist
4. manager
5. street performer (living statue)

8 other favorite tags

8 favorite TV shows I love to watch . . . (once again in no order)
1. the office
2. mad men
3. Lost
4. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
5. Two and a Half Men
6. How I Met Your Mother
7. The Colbert Report
8. How it's Made

8 things I did yesterday . . .
1. turned 25
2. had a picnic in the park with Jenny
3. played with pitbull puppies
4. went to dinner at the Irish Lion with Jeff
5. Got awesome bday presents from Jeff
6. cleaned my room
7. tech I was still at my birthday party
8. time warped

8 favorite places to eat . . .
1. Kings in PA
2. Leonardos in PA
3. Irish Lion in IN
4. Moes anywhere
5. Village Deli in IN
6. Sais Thai Restaurant in FL (it's gone now)
7. Domo and/or Japanee in IN
8. Newsroom Cafe in Miami

8 things I am looking forward to . . .
1. Thanksgiving in LA
2. Kristin Black coming back from Italy
3. night caving with Jenny and Jake
4. finishing my time line and still life
5. the mail, daily, just in case anyone sends me anything
6. the election
7. the first snow
8. Christmas time with all the spirit of the season and the snow and the songs!!!

8 things on my wish list . . .
1. to have a real Christmas this year
2. red cowboy boots
3. to know Japanese and it's symbols
4. that adult acne were a myth
5. that I wasn't so lazy
6. food, always
7. a yes from IU
8. that I was a trillionaire

8 people I tag . . .
1. Megan
2. the rest of my friends don't blog or are already tagged

Night of the living dead

2008-10-31T17:14:00.012-04:00

This is the article from the Indiana Daily Student:

Kirkwood Avenue and Walnut Street are hubs of nightlife entertainment for college students, but this Thursday the streets entertained a different crowd: the undead.

A few hundred people dressed up as zombies took over the streets for about an hour, walking straight-legged and blank-eyed, bringing traffic to a halt, jumping on cars that honked at them and slapping up against windows of businesses.

The eighth annual zombie parade began at 10 p.m. at the Sample Gates and ended about an hour later on Walnut Street outside Jake’s Nightclub. The “zombies” were mostly students, but a few children and adults were also participating.

As imagined, spectators were, in fact, fascinated by the spectacle.

People poured out of local businesses to watch the sight. Although some motorists who were stopped by the crowd honked impatiently, others embraced the event by rolling down their windows and blaring “Thriller” or by crawling out their car sunroofs to holler at the zombies.

The parade came to a somewhat abrupt end, though, as police cars pulled up behind the crowd with their lights flashing.

Although at first this did not deter the crowd and many zombies surrounded the police car, yelling, the party dissipated as even more squad cars arrived and one man was handcuffed and put inside one of the cars.

Parade participants were divided about the arrest.

Senior Luke Bapple, who believed the arrest happened because the arrestee had touched one of the police cars, said the arrested “zombie” should have known better.

“I mean, I’ll jump on a civilian car,” he said. “We’re dead, not stupid.”

But senior Samantha Miller applauded the arrestee.

“He was a martyr zombie,” she said.

Life is too short so love the one you got cause you might get run over or you might get shot

2008-10-30T13:57:00.004-04:00

The celebrating for my 25th birthday starts tonight and goes until Sunday!!

In honor of my 25 years on this crazy planet I'm going to list 25 things I am thankful for.

1)Friends. I know how cliche that sounds. I have some amazing friends that I can count on day and night thru thick and thin. To name a few:

Emilie. We have made the best home videos known to man together. We have a newsletter and songs upon songs we have written together. I love Emilie. I couldn't be more thankful for another human being. (well until I have a husband and kids someday...maybe?)

Jessica has been my best friend since 3rd grade and she truly knows EVERYTHING about me. I can complain to her and she'll set me straight, I can talk to her on my crazy girl days and she'll let me know I'm really not crazy. I can sing Britney Spears into a candle with her. She is truly like family. I love her and I'd be lost without her!

Aaron and I have been best friends since 2001 and he knows me better than I know myself. Although he is completely wrong about color theory he is my panda bear and I love him anyway! We have more inside jokes than anyone I know and talking to him always centers me.

Kayla and I have been best friends starting this year and I am convinced I have gone insane and she's a figment of my imagination. We are the same person. I love our daily chats and our Sam and Lohan double life. She is my little ginger that I can tell anything to!

2) I love my family. Teener included. When I am having a really good day, or a really bad day I always make the rounds and call my mom, my dad, my grandma and talk to my brothers and Teener. We may not have the perfect family, but my family is perfect to me. awwww

3) My health. Overall I have never had any major medical problems.

4) My extended family. I am so thankful that I have an amazing extended family that I am close with.

5) College. Weird thing to be thankful for, but I had to work to get here ( a little behind the game) and I'm paying my own way thru, completely. I really love college and I'm thankful to be in a College that I really like. Now if I could just figure out a major!

6) Ambition. I try to do something I've never done before everyday and I really try to never let fear stop me from doing it, although maybe sometimes it should.

7) Internet TV. I stopped watching tv for a long time and I forgot how much I really like having something to veg out to at the end of the day. I am so thankful that tv shows are on the net now since I don't have a television or cable. I never have to miss any of my favorite shows. (Mad Men, The Office, It's Always Sunny, How I Met Your Mother, 2 and a Half Men, LOST)

8) Youtube. I can't get enough of it! I love watching people's funny home videos and I get so into the meme's on there! Badger badger badger badger snaaaaaaake...

9) The short bus. I don't have a car here in Bloomington and my campus isn't in walking distance by any means. I am so thankful for Betty the bus driver and her daily stories and the free service provided by my college. Even though we almost went down in a blaze of glory the other day. ha!

10) Campus Walk. (my apt building) I have no complaints (other than neighborly noise, which isn't their fault) They pay our gas bill so we stay extra warm in the winter. We are walking distance to anything downtown and we get to live on the south side of campus. (the best side).

11) My cell phone. It's true. I got a new one and I freaking love the thing. It has a touchscreen on the outside and you can flip it open to get a keyboard. I think it does everything but teleport. (I'm still working on that) It's the LG Voyager if you want to check into it. I highly recommend getting it.

12) A certain tall guy and his family. I adore them all. :)

13) Local Hip Hop, MC's, and DJ's. It's the only music I ever want to shake it to and it consumes my weekends. I appreciate their creativity and hard work.

14) Autumn because I love it, and it's my favorite season.

15) Halloween and it's proximity to my birthday.

16) Bluegrass, acoustic, reggae, soul and mountain music. It's soooooooo good. I can't get enough.

17) Pizza, and lots of it with friends.

18) My down comforter. Although it need a duvet cover I know it's going to keep me toasty and comfy this winter. I'm never going to get out of bed.

19) Bloomington, I'm so glad I moved here.

20) care packages, giving and receiving!!

21) blogging, I can keep up with people I can't see and lurk creative peeps.

22) making it thru to 25 without getting any tattoos!

23) my health insurance

24) poptarts, they get me thru long days at school and they have some amazing flavors now.

25) ME!

over and out!

If you haven't seen these yet

2008-10-28T23:36:00.003-04:00

If you haven't seen the roasts yet (because you live in a cave?) you should sit down and watch them. Both McCain and Obama are HILARIOUS!

Don't forget to vote Tuesday Nov 4th!

My dreamland birthday wishlist

2008-10-28T23:16:00.006-04:00

If I could go on a shopping spree and buy anything for myself for my birthday this is what I would buy:

A square scarf:

Red cowboy boots:

A really cute red girly flannel (cute like the undershirt without the black)

A yellow gold red ruby ring with baguettes (size 5.5-6)like I've wanted since tenth grade:

Brown cowboy boots:

These boots from Target:

A pair of moccasins, any kind with the furry inside and no fringe:

A king sized duvet cover in white or zebra:

and the last thing I can think of that I've been wanting is a sewing machine:

and a shopping spree at Urban Outfitters

Zombie Crawl

2008-10-18T19:43:00.002-04:00

I love Halloween, and I love Bloomington!! Last year I was working at Greetings (a little card/tourist shop on the main drag) and someone came in and asked if I had seen the zombies outside. I had no clue what they were talking about so I ran over to the glass door and sure enough there were hundreds of zombies limping past the store and crawling all over everything in site.

All I could say was "WHAT THE CRAP is going on?!" I knew the people weren't really zombies, obviously, but it was still really scary to see. Turns out every year Bloomington hosts a Zombie Crawl and students and townspeople show up at the Sample Gates dressed as zombies to lurk the town. Basically the most amazing thing ever.

and hey Pittsburgh!! You hold the official world's record for the largest turn out to a Zombie Crawl!! GO GOLD AND BLACK!

I'm definitely dressing as the living dead this year and joining!!!!! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!!

Street performing

2008-10-14T09:00:00.011-04:00

I had SOOOO much fun street performing this weekend! I started out with the mask outfit, but it scared some little kids so I decided to paint my face instead on the second day. The kids loved the wig and face paint and I got a lot of little hugs that day :)

It was so fun to stand still (thank you years of yoga and modeling) and watch people stare at me like they weren't sure if I was real or not. This one group of people walked by and a girl in the group said 'she's not real' and her friends were like 'yes she is!' and the girl decided to walk up to me and hug me to show that I wasn't real. I waited until her hands were almost around me and slowly bent down for a hug. HAHAHAHA she jumped so high and screamed. Her friends and I thought it was pretty hilarious.

There was a family that came to get pictures with me and after I posed their daughters like statues and got a picture I pointed to the parents and motioned for them to come up (I couldn't talk). I posed the wife with her hand on her cheek standing in front of me and I posed her husband giving her a kiss on the cheek. I stood behind them with my hands on my mouth. It was so cute!!

This one family had about twenty people with them and the tiny little ones came up to get a picture with me and the one three year old girl kept coming up so I decided to pose her like a statue and I stepped down like I was going to walk away. We all clapped for her for standing still it was adorable. Her dad gave me white daisy's.

All in all it was a GREAT time, I can't wait to do it again :)

I'm a street performer

2008-10-07T23:44:00.002-04:00

So I need some extra money for school, but I don't really have the time to commit to a job so I improvised. I love acting, I love art, and I love doing zany things I've never done before soooooo I am going to be a living statue right downtown at Sample Gates and at Peoples Park. I am going to test the waters with it this weekend and if all goes well I'll be back at it on the regular in new costumes each time....

for those of you who are not familiar with it... fast forward to about 1:47

The Great Festival of Apples

2008-10-07T23:27:00.007-04:00

I spent my weekend back home in PA enjoying their cool weather and the great AppleFest!! I brought two of my friends from Bloomington with me and we all had a great time!! I went to Ben's burial service on Saturday and met his family, they are really great people. If I had more time I would make this post more interesting. Sorry for ya! School is kicking my butt this week....

The best things in life are free

2008-09-27T23:06:00.012-04:00

What a great weekend!! I did the night caving with the IU Outdoor Adventure Club and made a lot of new friends!! The caving was soooo fun!

Then yesterday I went to a bonfire and had my first "pudgy pie", some hot home made apple cider and played farmer's golf. I love Fall, have I mentioned that yet?

Then today my friends Cara, Althea and I joined up with the Bloomington Hiker's Club and went on a 15 mile trek through Hoosier National Forest to the lake and did a little bit of cave exploration.

I love the outdoors and I couldn't be happier about getting back out there....even if I can't walk tomorrow :)

Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right. Here I am

2008-09-24T09:40:00.014-04:00

Maybe I'm just a jerk, but I feel like I'm surrounded by idiots...anyway, instead of ranting I'll tell you about this coolness...

The other day I was sitting in drawing class surrounded by 19 year olds and the girl next to me turns to me and says "I hope by the time I'm your age I have a ring on my finger" ouch, my age?! I don't have a ring on my finger anymore...double ouch... it got to me... so I spent the remainder of the weekend in bed with my good friends Ben and Jerry. I ordered all my favorite cheesy movies from the late 80's and early 90's and watched them. One was the movie "White Wolves, A Cry In The Wild II" (yeah I know, you've never heard of it, no one has)

I used to watch that movie over and over and over again growing up. I still love it and could watch it over and over, if I had the time. The movie has Mark Paul Gosselaar in it and is about a group of teens on a weekend adventure in the woods with Mr. B. I wont tell you any more so you can go out and find it and watch it, ha! But it reminded me how much I love being outdoors so...

I am night caving tonight with the IU Outdoors Club. I joined the club last week and I haven't met anyone yet. I'm really excited and nervous!! We're going 'for an evening of subterranean exploration in one of Southern Indiana’s most beautiful limestone caves to crawl through passages and splash around in underground streams.' I hope I get some good pictures and makes some new friends...

Also I joined the Bloomington Hikers Club. If I'm in town this Saturday there is a 14 mile hike thru Deam Wilderness from the Hayes Trailhead to the tip of the Peninsula Trail and lunch at the lake. That will be my first trip with that group. They go camping a lot and I'm still working on getting my gear.

Also anyone in the area want to hit up the Hoosier Heights with me? It's the indoor climbing facility... call me if you do and we'll hook it up....

and if you don't know by now, I'm talkin 'bout Chitown

2008-09-10T08:41:00.014-04:00

What a crazy weekend!!

My friend Jenny and I woke up at 4:30am Saturday morning and headed up to Chicago for my first trip there and for my America's Next Top Model audition!!!

It was held in the South Side of Chicago at the Hyatt and our directions were anything but specific. We ended up driving around the South Side for a while until two lovely ladies on the sidewalk directed us back to where we had started. Parking was a mere $21, I'm still salty about that. Stupid Chicago parking. Then we headed in to see Tyra!!

The line was out the door and around the building (see picture above) but the line was moving quickly and I was in the door within 5 minutes. The room was full of models and people from the show. I kept my eye out for Nigel, no luck!

I ended up sitting next to a girl named Joy and we were clownin all day. Neither of us had any sleep or food that day and we were ready to just lay down on the floor.

A girl a few isles up kept yelling "TYRA!!!" and her row would start clapping. The whole room looked around, ha, no Tyra. She tricky us! I was happy the models were all friendly and fun and not snobby and insecure. I was worried about that.

They were taking us in the casting call room a hundred at a time and we were lined up like prisoners. They had us fall in against the wall in a single file line. We had to keep our right shoulder and right side of our body firmly against the wall and hold our handbags out in the air with our left arm. We had to stand with the front of our shoes touching the back of the shoes of the person in front of us and full body to body contact. Then they slapped a number on us and the fun began. After being told to set our bags on the floor (finally) they instructed us to step out of the line up and look into the camera (that had Tyra's picture taped to it) and say only our names, age, height, and weight then pass the mic to the person behind us and get back up against the wall. My heart was pounding!! They told us Tyra was watching us. After the last girl went they immediatly said "If I don't call out your number, please exit thru that door." and they called three numbers, and I exited thru that door. haha

I'm not mad though, I had so much fun at the try outs and I can say I've talked to Tyra and tried out for tv. Fun!

The rest of the weekend in Chicago was full of my three favorite G.F.'s (Good friends, good fun and good food) Shopping on Michigan Ave, Chinatown, Redline....best weekend in a long time!! You can bet I'll be back soon!

And the highlight of my trip!!!!! JAPANESE RAMUNE SODA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just like Pankun drinks in Pankun and James!!!!!!! GAH!

Modern inconveniences

2008-08-29T17:36:00.004-04:00

GAH! Doesn't it seem like every time a new modern convenience is shoved down our throats our lives get more complicated, time consuming, and disconnected?!

Fight social autism...

Coast to Coast and everywhere in between

2008-08-27T12:38:00.011-04:00

I just got back from my two week trek across the states. It was the best of times and it was the
worst of times, ha, actually it was just the best of times. However I don't recommend four airports in one day, even to my worst enemy. Flying, exiting, security, boarding, flying from 6am-midnight sucks. period. And landing to find out they lost my luggage, wowowea.

I started out in Indiana with Adam who was moving to Los Angeles. The trip went smoothly thanks to his Garmin!! What a lifesaver! We started our drive to Colorado that morning and took I-70 Westward. I had never seen Illinois, Missouri, Kansas (you can imagine how excited I was about Kansas!! Wizard of Oz) or Colorado so my face was glued to the window the whole time. ETA was midnight according the evil Garmin lady. We kept thinking the time was going to change with the time zones so when we thought we had two hours left, really we had four. That was a bit of a challenge, but we took it in stride.

We got to our friend Carrie's in Denver sometime in the middle of the night and got to visit for a little while. Adam got to see Dude (Carrie and Elliot's dog) and I don't think I have ever seen him that happy before. Dude seemed pretty excited to see Adam as well. After a short nights sleep we got up at the crack of dawn and kept on keeping on. The people in Colorado were exceptionally friendly, btw. Kudos to you for winning the best customer service experience of my entire trip.

The second half of the trip was so much more beautiful! We went thru Southern Utah and the platues and red rocks were absolutely gorgeous. The whole drive across the state was desolate with the exception of the occasional RLDS exits full of friendly inbreeds. We almost ran completely out of gas out there in the middle of no where and I'm convinced the Garmin lady was trying to kill us. We luckily made it to a gas station just in time.

The rest of the states we traveled thru were Arizona, Nevada, and California. I got to see Vegas!!! I even drove thru. Scary. It was at night and all the neon signs were beautiful. Vegas was a lot smaller than I had imagined it to be. Also it's weird to be driving in the desert with nothing around then all of a sudden BAM Vegas then nothing again. I had so much fun playing car games like I did when I was a kid. I still remember the whole thing A-Z, amazingly.

We got to Los Angeles sometime in the wee hours of the morning and got Adam all unpacked and had a nice short rest. I got to meet his roommates the next morning and they are sweet as pie. Adam's new digs aren't too shabby either. I especially like the private deck with the little cabana.

Adam showed me around SoCal the next day and I got to see Bel Air, I was thinking of Fresh Prince the entire time. We went to the Third Street Promenade, where again, the Garmin lady tried to kill us. It was so fun to walk around and see the street performers and all the shops. I loved it! We kept walking around looking for somewhere to eat and I saw a Hooters. I had always wanted to eat there and so we went. The food is as good as everyone says. The girls, not so cute.

Then we headed south to Laguna to see Elliot which was great! I hadn't seen him in a while. The view from Ben's apartment was breath taking. We hung out for a while and then I made Grandpa's pancake recipe for everyone and off to bed for another short rest. We were up at 5am to drive me to the airport to catch my flight and the goodbye was much shorter than I had wanted, no thanks to the lady in the Mercedes.

For as much as I was a hater on Vegas and California I think everyone will be surprised to hear that I loved both places and can't wait to go back to both. I'll be in Vegas in October, if you want to meet up with me there and share the hotel let me know on the quick. Let's do this! I'll be in California in November.

Next stop was the Denver Airport then the Indy Airport. I flew on Frontier and I really liked that airline. In Indy I changed to Delta, the ghetto of the sky, and flew to the ATL then finally down to Ft. Lauderdale to meet Andybob, Naomi, and Emilie. Emilie and I both ended up flying right thru Tropical Storm Fay. We both genuinely though we were going to die. What a ride!

We woke up the next day to Grandma making us the pancakes!! Melt in my mouth. We went swimming in the ocean in the storm, but the waves were a little too strong so we headed back to the pool. We decided to get out all the old pool toys and Emilie popped the bean. hehe We ate dinner with Grandma and Ben at Duffy's and it was sooo goood then we headed over the Pier in Deerfield and watched the sunset. That night we watched the best movie ever!! (note sarcasm) It was called "Shutter". It's not on my recommendation list.

The next day we went to Gumbo Limbo and did the nature walk. The tour guide was very animated and lively which made it so fun. There were tons of banana spiders everywhere and they were huge! We headed to beach afterward and enjoyed some sun and surf. Andy had bought a skim board and I gave it a go. HA! DO NOT jump on with both feet. The sand is not as soft as it looks and my hip is still bruised. That night I ate Moe's on the beach and we raced up and down the sand and made goofy videos on my cell phone and Any and Naomi tried to fly kites.

The next day we went to Lion Country Safari with Grandma and got to see all the animals. We headed over to the giraffe's and I let one eat a cracker from my mouth. GAH! Giraffe kisses! Then Emilie and I hit up the petting zoo and a carousel. We all met back up at the boats and took out some paddle boats then took a tour on the pontoon boat to see the monkeys. The day was so fun and Grandma, Emilie and I got corndogs for lunch!!! :) Then for dinner grandma made us her yorkshire pudding, roast, potatoes, etc. We scarfed it down like vultures.

The next day we headed to the beach and decided to go snorkeling in the Red Reefs. Em and I geared up with our $2.99 kids goggles and our body boards and Andy and Naomi headed out with their real snorkels and flippers. Ha! We saw zebra fish, bright yellow fish and some ugly fish. Em and I decided to board back into shore and somehow she ended up crashing and burning on the reefs and I didn't. She was bleeding all over the place and the lifeguards patched her up the best they could. Her foot looked like a shark attack. Andy and Naomi were leaving that night so I drove them to the airport with Em and we ended up getting lost, imagine that, somewhere near Alligator Alley for an hour.

The next day Em, Grams and I headed to South Beach/Bayside via train like we used to do as kids. Well apparently a lot has changed. If I smell vagrant urine one more time, and I mean ONE more time, I'm going to have a major freak out! On the metrorail there was a bum passed out and we sat down next to him and it smelled so bad!! Then this "little person" bum got on the train and told us the man had peed himself and he's crazy and if he jumps on you then you wont be able to get him off. So we moved to the other side of the train. Later we missed our train in Hialeah and got stranded in the ghetto for two hours. Thinking it'd be a great idea to step off the TriRail property and into the streets we headed down this narrow walkway. Then the smell hit us and we looked around and realized there were puddles but it wasn't raining!!! We found the bum urinal. GROSS! We booked it out of there and into a little corner shop. It was so cute in the shop and nothing was in english. We stood out like a sore thumb. Then we headed next door to a diner and to our surprise it was filled with men and a prostitute. Grams booked it out of there and Em and I stayed for a minute out of curiosity. Never a dull moment. Then we spent the remainder of the time taking "myspace style" photo's of ourselves making every face we could think of until the train came.

The next day we decided to hit the beach and just relaxed for a while. Then we went swimming in the pool and had a cookout on the back enclosure area. Emilie grilled up hotdogs and hamburgers and they were sooooooooo good!! We finished the night watching the Olympics Closing Ceremony.

Then the last day we decided to hit up a flea market/swap shop we used to go to as kids. It wasn't what we remembered at all!! We got there and it was a bum garage sale basically. AGAIN WITH THE URINE! What is that about?! Find a bathroom! Then Em and I got hungry and pulled into Little Cesar's and got a large pizza and each ate half sitting there in the parking lot. We had eaten soooo much food during our trip. Sooo much food! Grandma kept us well fed on home baked sweets and food in general. Then we went shopping for the rest of the day.

Pictures to come...

Kosha Dillz, this fall

2008-08-03T13:01:00.010-04:00

"Kosha Dillz is not only a clever play on words, but also presents a rarely seen culture clash in music. He voices his political opinions on foreign affairs and oppression with fresh rhymes. This makes him a universal voice..." URB MAGAZINE

"I've been listening to Kosha for the past couple nights, I let some of my Japanese friends listen as well and they definitely approve. His beats are sick. 'Hairychest to Hollywood', 'The Real Occupation' and 'Rollercoaster Baby' are my favs for now. Expect to hear him in the clubs over here." -Gio Attisano US Navy, Japan

MD: So let’s start off with you introducing yourself and tell us what you’ve been up to lately?

KD: Hey, I’m Kosha Dillz. I’m from a planet called New Jersey. My parents came from Israel along with my bros and I was born to be an amazing person. I think I’m doing a great job!

I’ve been helping people lately. I came to Indiana first on my Spare Change Tour and next I’m going on tour with Yak Ballz on the Aesop Rock Tour this summer.

MD: Tell me how you got the name Kosha Dillz.

KD: I honestly had it as Kosher Dill of A Jar then it was KD FLOW. I must’ve been ashamed to be Kosher so I shortened it. Then it became Kosha Dillz for my first record, it sort of rebirthed in the past 4 years when I really started recording. It’s a great name, I really think I’m the only one who has it or wants to have it, that is.

MD: You said four years ago, how long have you been in the business?

KD: Basically I’ve been on the NYC scene showing my face since 1999 but I came out in 2005 with my first 12'' record.

MD: What record was that?

KD: It was "Matzah 4 Yo Mouf ". ‘Hairy Chest 2 Hollywood’, ‘Zone Out’ and ‘Get the Duh’ Featuring Yak Ballz. I put it out myself and there are only 50 copies left out there, at least in my basement. I sold lots of them, so soon to be extinct!

MD: I better get one :)

KD: I think they’re on EBAY!

MD: What message are you hoping to get out about Judaism in the hip hop scene?

KD: Many people associate Judaism with stereo types.etc. I try to get out a positive message in relation to Israel. I hope I convey the message to other Jews out there who don’t have many Jewish friends (especially in Midwest areas, southern rural) that it’s ok to be who you are. It’s cool to be Jewish. In fact it rules! (Just like it rules to be whatever you are) I hope to build esteem in our youngsters out there. I have to do this one person at a time.

MD: That is very true, do you have a specific DJ you like to work with?

KD: I really enjoy GI JOE who is Immortal Tehcniques DJ. DJ Abilities is really great I’m a big fan of his.
I have crushes on female DJs that are really good, but I guess that wouldn’t work out haha. I feel DJ JS ONE from Rocksteady is the most legendary DJ out there. I bet there are some more guys too.

MD: If you don't have a mainstay DJ on your mixes than do you make your own beats?

KD: Well yeah it’s tough to find a DJ who is willing to roll for so little money; you have to pick the best DJ in each town. For example Wally Wonder in Bloomington and DJ Topspeed in Indy. Then the best DJ in the next town you know, you gotta keep reaching out. My boy Lefty is great in Columbus

MD: Who were your early influences?

KD: Nas, Biggie, Wu Tang, Rancid, Smashing Pumpkins, and Metallica.

MD: Who is your influence now?

KD: Hmm. My peers, Yak, C Rayz.

I do it for the kids. I really believe I can change the world one show at a time. The best experience that gave me a push to really do this was 3 and half years ago on stage with Matisyahu. It was in front of so many people and kind of put me on my quest with my faith and soul searching through music and it keeps elevating.

MD: How do you feel about the music download trend?

KD: well it helps artist like me get out there. Don’t try to stop the world by yourself because it won’t happen. You have to roll with the punches and innovate. We can’t stop the download craze so join in on the fun!

MD: Tell us about your upcoming tour. Who are you touring with and where will you be?

KD: I’m going out with Yak Ballz. The other is with Aesop Rock. I’ll be backing him up and doing some guest work on stage! I’m going to be in Boston, New Haven CT, Dc, Columbus Ohio, Chicago, Oshkosh Wisconsin, Sioux Falls South Dakota and Minnesota.

MD: When is your record coming out?

KD: Freestyle Vs Written, my collaboration record with C RAYZ WALZ! August 26th (my birthday) look for it on Itunes! October 14th I’ll be hitting the shelves in stores.

MD: Where can your fans go to purchase your merchandise?

KD: www.myspace.com/koshadillz4life there is a donation form for CDs and also an ‘Oy Vey’ t-shirt that’s really cool!

MD: Are you still selling the 'Jews have all the money' t-shirts?

KD: haha yeah those are limited to be printed upon request. It’s to counter act the stereo types

MD: Are there any last thoughts you’d like to express to your fans?

KD: If you don’t know how to be yourself, it’s ok. It all comes with practice. Also August 26th Itunes grab ‘Freestyle vs. Written’ the LP with C Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz!

Check these sites:

www.koshadillz.blogspot.com
www.everyoneisjewish.blogspot.com

www.myspace.com/koshadillz4life

See that door that says 'Pirate' over there?

2008-08-03T10:13:00.002-04:00

I can not understand why no one I know watches this show or has ever seen it. This is seriously the funniest show I have ever seen, and I've seen every single episode, thanks to internet TV. Is it not advertised?

"This Fx original is about 4 friends who own/work in a bar called Paddy's Pub. 3 of the friends, who are the owners of the bar, are Charlie Kelly, Mac, and Dennis Reynolds. The 4th friend is Dennis' sister Sweet Dee, who is the bartender at the bar."

Watch it!
HERE

coast to coast

2008-07-31T14:41:00.003-04:00

August is going to be a crazy month for me!! I am so excited (and super sad)!! I'm moving out of my apartment into the new one on the 13th and 14th then on the 15th I'm finally going on that trip across the country via car and we're stopping in Colorado for a night then we're heading to LA (I've never been to California and I'm super stoked to see it for the first time). I'll be flying from LA to Indianapolis on the 18th and two hours later I'll be flying to wonderful South Florida to see my grandma and her husband and my cousins!! I'll be in South Florida for a little over a week hitting the beaches and all the places I used to go as a kid then back to Indianapolis just in time for my Fall semester to start on Aug 26th.

Horray :)

nerd

2008-07-30T13:05:00.002-04:00

I got my textbooks for Fall in the mail yesterday and I read the first chapter in each of them just to be a little ahead of the game when I start my face to face classes in August. One of the textbooks is on philosophy and it was covering the Pythagoreans. If there is a movie out about them someone please pass the word on to me.

How great would a movie about people that turn every single facet of human life into numbers and equations be? I think it'd make a great psychological thriller. These people used math as their religion, literally. They worshiped by working with numbers. In my opinion they were so smart that they went insane. They killed one of their own for revealing that the Pythagorean theorem didn't work on isosceles right triangles, they drowned him in a river.

Also I started reading my survey of biotechnology book and it makes me pretty upset. That class is going to stress me out since I am morally opposed to most of what biotechnology is doing and their methods of getting there. greaaaat.

worm it up

2008-07-18T10:29:00.004-04:00

If I could force everyone I care about to read three books I would make them read these three books in this order:

I was not at all interested in reading this book when it was given to me. I don't like self help books that seem feminist or like they are going to be full of "guy hate", but when I saw who wrote the book I decided to give it a chance after letting it sit on my shelf for two years. The book is brazen and a little over the top, but even the author admits to that, it serves a purpose and she explains it. I would even make the guys I know read it just so they could understand us "crazy" females a little more.

This book comes highly recommended in Academia, I had no idea. It was bought for me when I lived in South Florida in 2004. This book literally changed my life. It's an easy read and it's exactly my style. I LOVE this author. He breaks everything down to a science, which is how I think and he gives stories and examples to make his point. I don't even know what to say other than I think everyone should read this book.

I am still in the beginning of this book, I got it yesterday in the mail. So far it's starting out stronger than Emotional Intelligence and I can see this being an amazing companion volume to it.

If these aren't too pricey come Christmas everyone I exchange gifts with can expect a copy of each of the books along with their presents this year.

Life as of late

2008-07-10T11:16:00.005-04:00

Life has been so good lately, this has been the first good year in a while and I am enjoying every minute of it, although it's also one of the fastest years I've ever had.

I'm getting ready to schedule for the fall semester and I finally found out what I want to do in life, I couldn't be happier about that. My new major is something I have been doing in my spare time since 2003 and I can't believe there are actually jobs out there that pay well to do it. I am very excited to get the formal training, it's making full time schooling exciting again.

I went to the doctors for a checkup from surgery a couple days ago and it seems as though I am fixed for life on that issue. That alone could keep me smiling for a year.

August 18th I will see you South Florida!! Emilie and I planned a trip down to see Grandma and Ben and finally get to do all our favorite things we did as kids in Florida and I am so excited. Andy and Naomi will be joining us for some of the trip as well, it's going to be a full house!! It's going to be awesome, and I start my fall semester the day I get back in Indiana. Perfect way to end my summer, staying busy, and having fun.

I just got a blessing at the institute building and I'm busting out my patriarchal blessing for a quick review.

Work has been going really well, I'm still at Greetings and still loving it and my coworkers/bosses etc. I don't enjoy the customers always though, ha! DONT UNFOLD TSHIRTS AT THE STORE!!!

I also couldn't be happier with the way I've been spending my evenings/weekends for the past few months.

It seems as though everything is coming up Melissa. ha!!

Helping Flood Victims

2008-07-02T11:15:00.002-04:00

I had an amazing oppertunity with the Bloomington YSA to help flood victims in Terre Haute, Indiana last Saturday. It was a busy day!! I woke up at 6am and headed North with a group and we ended up working on a house that had been gutted completely out, the family lost everything. Their back yard meets a levy and it ended up working against them when the flood came. The water went over the levy and was held in by it. Seven feet of water hit their house in five minutes and they didn't have flood insurance.

They had their elderly father visiting from Las Vegas and he is blind, I could not imagine how scary it would be to have to swim out of the house onto the rescue boats blind in a strange house.

The family helped us with the clean up efforts and I really enjoyed meeting them. The father of the house is a professor at IU's medical school and started and runs a brain tissue bank. (he is a neuroscientist that specializes in Alzheimer's) and his wife was so sweet. No one knew them prior to helping and it amazes me that we just show up at places where people are in need and ask around if anyone needs any help. The response to that is amazing.

I ended up under the house tearing out ventilation systems and bleaching the outside walls of the house and the deck then pressure cleaning everything.

On the way back to the church for lunch the girls and I were dancing to "I will survive" in the car and this elderly man beside us (wearing raybans!!) was slurping on his fast food drink and staring at us. So I waved and he waved back and I gave him a thumbs up and he did it back. Then as he pulled away he threw his cup at the side of our car and flipped us off!!!! It was the craziest thing ever!!

and we could talk if days weren't so fast

2008-06-26T09:58:00.004-04:00

I didn't even realize how long it's been since I've updated until I got an email about it yesterday. Time is whizzing past me lately, I wish winter went this fast and summer went as slow as winter.

Some personal updates: I've been doing really well and I'm really happy and healthy. I've been making new friends and working. I went to a baseball game in Indy last weekend with the Bloomington YSA. Our team made a comeback at the bottom of the ninth and won the game!! Then there were fireworks which was awe-some!

We had Lina's baby shower for work on Monday and she is so cute with her baby bump!! I felt the baby move and it kicked my hand from inside her, INSANE, I have never felt that before.

Also if you have a minute this website is worth checking out: www.ted.com

Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The talks are available for the first time outside of the conference.

Back to good

2008-06-09T10:00:00.003-04:00

Health update:

I went to the doctors on Wed last week and I am as good as new now and jogging and shooting hoops and swimming etc.

Thank you for emails and prayers.

Love,
Mel

Awesome links for Awesome people

2008-06-02T14:45:00.002-04:00

Hey if you read my blog from time to time, first of all, thank you. Secondly I'm going to link you up right today.

It's summer so really you should be outside playing frisbee, golf, swimming, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, getting to know your neighbor, volunteering, riding bikes, swinging on a tire swing, planting or tending to your garden, laying out, playing tennis, shooting hoops, hiking in your local woods while you still have them, laying under the clouds and/or stars with someone etc.

However if for some reason you're stuck inside like me you might be able to make use of these sites I'm going to share where I can watch tv as if I have cable. live. just like that. No downloading, therefor I'm doing nothing illegal. I watched the Pens WINNING game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC while my friends that pay for cable were also watching at their houses.

catch what I'm throwing? If not please turn off the internet, because it's not for you.

This is the link for the live stuff, it's mostly sports, which is awesome for me. Sometimes there are shows on there too. If anyone can find a way to watch MTV live or other channels I would GREATLY appreciate the 1337 love. :)

This is the link to watch movies from home, even ones still in the theaters. Downfalls: sometimes but not always you have to watch it in parts. not a big deal. but kind of annoying. If you download Veoh for free than anytime they have a veoh link you can watch it in full, full screen. Is nice, I like.

This is the link that has almost every tv show, up to date within a day of the new release, every season in order with brief synopsis's of every episode. They'll give you many many choices of links for each episode. Not all of them have the same choices but if you can find these use them, I put them in order with the best one first.
watchxonline
repph
tudou
youku

ok now get up go do something outside. If you can.

refocus

2008-05-28T10:24:00.005-04:00

I've always thought that "Is the glass half full or half empty" question was stupid and the people that answered it without thinking were even more stupid than the question itself. If you just filled the glass halfway up then it's half full and if you just poured out half the glass then it's half empty. It would depend on the state of the glass prior to the half way mark. Either way I know the point of the question and I like to think of myself as a "glass half full" kind of person, and also a long winded kind of person. Ha!

I have been focusing so much on the things I can not do while I'm stuck in bed and focused so much on myself that I forgot to be thankful. This very unexpected and LONG resting period is nice especially after the hustle and bustle of being home and out all night the week before and after the trip (and during the trip) It's nice that I can't really sit at the computer for longer than ten minutes at a time and I should be using this time to write to my grandmother's and loved ones and practice my art and think out what my game plan for summer is. Luckily I have fall figured out. I should be thankful for time to read and time to rest. I should be thankful that I'll never have to deal with this again. I should be thankful that my boss is very understanding about my time off. I should be thankful that this happened after my semester ended and there is nothing too pressing going on while I'm down and I am thankful for these things, but sometimes I forget.

I am thankful for my roommate. I love Christina, she is such an amazing person. She came home from work right away to take me to the ER and she sat by my side trying to make me laugh and ease my mind while they cut away. She even held my hand, the poor girl. She's gone and run my errands for me while I'm in bed and she even brought me my favorite flowers from the farmers market. No one has ever gotten me wildflowers before other than the ones my mom picked for me growing up. She has sat here and listened to my endless hours of social garbage and watched tv with me and cooked delicious salmon for us!!!! If I would stop thinking about myself for two seconds I would have realized I have people around me that really care and are really good people. My phone hasn't stopped ringing since last week.

haha this blog isn't supposed to be about me, which is kind of funny considering the content of this post, and maybe it's the pain meds talking, but thank you everyone for the thoughts, prayers, and care. I really appreciate it more than you know :)

I have a doctors appointment June 4th to see if I can get the catheter out, please keep your fingers crossed for me!!!!! I called this morning to see if I could do it sooner and I got a firm "no". haha no harm in trying.

Now don't get me started on that chicken and his egg!!

Bed Rest

2008-05-24T08:53:00.002-04:00

It figures! Just when I buy my basketball and new tennis balls and get all excited about the weather and playing outdoors I end up rushing to the Emergency Room and getting sliced and diced. I'm on bed rest at home until Wed at least and I have a catheter in, which is anything but comfortable. It's not the kind you pee in, it's one that they stuck in the incision and left hanging out of the open wound. Gross I know. I had a picture of me in the hospital and a picture of the bloody gurney I took when I was all hopped up on pain killers and Valium at the hospital, but Teener erased them off my phone when I passed out because she said it was weird. HAHA
If you're in Bloomington come over and visit me!! I'm bored to tears and I'm on some strong pain killers, so I can tell you about dancing elephants in the corner. It'll be fun, I swear.

Passion

2008-05-10T17:12:00.002-04:00

I forgot how much I love playing tennis. I'm so glad I got to play today :)

HEY INDIANA

2008-05-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

Hey Indiana don't forget to vote today!!

Mouth Watering

2008-04-30T08:49:00.001-04:00

This commercial gets me every time! The oranges are so juicy...gahhh

Graffiti Stencils

2008-04-28T09:51:00.003-04:00

I've been a fan of Banksy since I heard of him and I love graffiti, but I'm not so good at the freestyle. Mark, Dan, and I used to go out to the tunnels in Clarion and try our hand at it, but without tips and with cold weather it was fail all around.

I met some kids that do stenciling around Bloomington and I really wanted to figure it out and yesterday I finally sat down and gave it a go. Without photoshop to cheat and make the stencil for me it was a little rough, but I don't think I did so bad for my first try.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

2008-04-22T16:02:00.002-04:00

Happy Earth Day everyone! I hope you are doing something proactive for the Earth today.

An ode to Pittsburgh

2008-04-21T12:55:00.003-04:00

I love Pittsburgh, it's a great city to spend time in even if you're just walking around checking things out. Here are some of my favorite Pittsburgh things:

The Gateway Clipper Fleet!!

Station Square!!

Kennywood!!!

Baldinger's Candy!!

Mr. Rogers!

Heinz

Primanti Brother's

My uncle John Steigerwald

the view from the incline

I also love the science center more than anything in the world and the art museums are amazing too.

Here are some famous firsts from Pittsburgh:

1982: The Smiley :-)
The Smiley :-) was the first Internet emoticon, created in 1982 by Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Scott Fahlman.

1971: Mr. Yuk
The first Mr. Yuk Sticker was created at the Poison Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh after research indicated that the skull and crossbones previously used to identify poisons had little meaning to modern children

1971: Nighttime World Series Game
Game 4 of the 1971 World Series was the first night game in Series history. Pittsburgh tied the series in that game with a 4-3 win and went on to win the series, 4 games to 3. This was one of the last big moments in the career of well-loved Pirate Roberto Clemente. Fourteen and a half months after the 1971 World Series, he died in a plane crash off the coast of his native Puerto Rico as he attempted to take food, clothing and medical supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

1967: The Big Mac
Created by Jim Delligatti at his Uniontown McDonald's, the Big Mac debuted and was test marketed in three other Pittsburgh-area McDonald's restaurants in 1967. By 1968 it was a mainstay on McDonald's menus throughout the country and, eventually, the world.

1954: U.S. Public Television Station
WQED, operated by the Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Station, was the first community-sponsored educational television station in America and was also the first to telecast classes to elementary schools (1955).

1953: Polio Vaccine
The polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas E. Salk, a 38-year-old University of Pittsburgh researcher and professor, and his staff at the University of Pittsburgh.

1932: The Zippo Lighter
George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932 in Bradford, Pennsylvania. You can even find the name of the manufacturing location, either Bradford or Niagara Falls, Canada, stamped on the bottom of every Zippo lighter. The name Zippo was chosen by Blaisdell because he liked the sound of the word "zipper" - which was patented around the same time in nearby Meadville, PA.

1920s: Bingo!
Hugh J. Ward first came up with the concept of bingo in Pittsburgh and began running the game at carnivals in the early 1920s, taking it nationwide in 1924. He secured a copyright on the game and wrote a book of Bingo rules in 1933.

1913: The Gas Station
In 1913 the first automobile service station, built by Gulf Refining Company, opened in Pittsburgh at Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in East Liberty. It was designed by J.H.Giesey.

1909: The Baseball Stadium
In 1909 the first baseball stadium, Forbes Field, was built in Pittsburgh, followed soon by similar stadiums in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and New York. Forbes Field closed in 1970 when Three Rivers Stadium opened. PNC Park is the newest replacement with opening set for 2001.

1905: The Motion Picture Theater
The first theater in the world devoted to the exhibition of motion pictures was the "Nickelodeon," opened by Harry Davis on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh.

1905: The Banana Split
The banana split was invented by Dr. David Strickler, a pharmacist, at Strickler's Drug Store in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

1905: The World Series
The Boston Pilgrims defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three in baseball's first modern World Series in 1903. The Pirates lost the final game 4-3, before a crowd of 7,455 in Boston. Four of the series' games were played in Pittsburgh.

1892: The Ferris Wheel
The first Ferris Wheel, invented by Pittsburgh native and civil engineer, George Washington Gale Ferris (1859-1896) was in operation at the World's Fair (Columbian Exposition) in Chicago. It was over 264 feet high and was capable of carrying more than 2,000 passengers at a time.

Sea Creatures

2008-04-19T11:59:00.007-04:00

If you know me then you know how much I love sea creatures/marine life/oceans/anything nautical. One of my favorite sea creatures is whales, yet I have never seen one, not even in a zoo. (Which is not where I would want to see one) My senior class trip went to Baltimore on a whale watch, but I didn't go and now I'm really regretting that since the oceans are in such bad shape. I am afraid I'll never get to see a whale.

Please take some time outside of yourself to learn about the oceans and what you can do to help. We are all part of the problem and it's time we all become part of the solution.

Fun Facts:

The oceans contain 99 percent of the living space on the planet.
An estimated 80% of all life on earth is found under the ocean surface
The blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus, is the largest known animal ever to have lived on sea or land.
A group of herring is called a seige. A group of jelly fish is called a smack.
Since the architecture and chemistry of coral are very close to human bone, coral has been used to replace bone grafts in helping human bones to heal quickly and cleanly.
Life began in the seas 3.1 billion to 3.4 billion years ago. Land dwellers appeared 400 million years ago a relatively recent point in the geologic time line.
Less than 10% of the oceans have been explored by humans.
The oceans cover 71% of the Earth's surface and contain 97% of the Earth's water.
Air pollution is responsible for 33% of the toxic contaminants that end up in oceans and coastal waters. About 44% of the toxic contaminants come from runoff via rivers and streams.
Each year three times as much garbage and waste is dumped into the world's oceans as the weight of fish caught.
Refined oil is also responsible for polluting the ocean. More oil reaches the oceans each year as a result of leaking automobiles and other non-point sources than the oil spilled in Prince William Sound by the Exxon Valdez.

How can you help?

Knowledge is power.

The more you know about the ocean, it's life, and what it means to your life the more you can understand and the more you can do. Here are some helpful links to learn about the oceans:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/456440372
http://www.seashepherd.org/
http://www.usgs.gov/
http://www.epa.gov/
http://www.cleanoceanaction.org

10 Tips For Everyday Living

1. Reduce, reuse, & recycle to save money and natural resources, as well as improve the quality of our environment.

2. Buy in bulk quantities. Reuse & refill the containers. When purchasing any items, bring your own bags and do not purchase over-packaged items.

3. Save water by using less. For example, turn off the water while brushing teeth, take shorter showers, and if washing a car, use a qualified facility that recycles water.

4. Reduce the use of disposable items, such as plastic straws, lighters, cups, diapers, razors, or pens. All disposables generate toxics, use up precious resources, are not generally recyclable, and fill our landfills. Instead, buy items that are reusable.

5. Use environmentally safe products in your home and office. For more information see COA’s “Tips for Cleaning” and other tip cards.

6. Be proactive by writing manufacturers and retailers. Urge them to make and sell recyclable products, and to use minimal packaging and environmentally safe products.

7. Vote. You have the power to demand change. Talk or write to elected officials about environmental issues and hold them accountable.

8. Replace inefficient items in your home to save energy and money. At minimum, look for “Energy Star” products. Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving fluorescent bulbs. Replacing just one bulb will save $44 and .25 tons of coal.

9. Educate family, friends, employers, and others of their responsibility to the environment. Inform anyone you see littering, or otherwise harming the environment, about pollution issues.

10. Implement these tips and get involved with environmental groups. Visit websites for information, alternative products, and ideas for what you can do to make a difference.

Clownin

2008-04-16T17:54:00.004-04:00

Leo makes me melt when he cracks a smile while he is preforming in this video.

and I don't know why, but this video sucks me in every time I see it.

Leo Sayer is completely underrated.

History. But not boring.

2008-04-11T17:28:00.003-04:00

I absolutely love history. History and Science are probably my two favorite things to learn about. However I failed history in high school and I believe it was because the teachers I had didn't care to make it interesting at all. The teacher of the class I failed would put the assignment on the chalk board, say nothing to us, and sit at his desk reading a newspaper. It was horridly boring. It wasn't until after high school when I started touring historical sites that I realized how much I love it. I found out about this series called "Drunk History" and I think they should replace that high school teacher with a monitor that plays this to the students instead. I could watch this all day.

Spring

2008-04-10T21:03:00.001-04:00

ahh it's thundering and lightning outside right now. On my walk home from work I saw tons of daffodils and I picked one and put it in a glass bottle. I love Spring!

They say blondes have more fun

2008-04-07T17:06:00.003-04:00

So I used hair dye remover today to get the brown out and go back to my natural gingerness. BUT something happened. My hair turned almost blonde so I talked to the ladies at the salon and they told me that my only option at this point is to leave it or to go blonde because trying to go red will turn pink and brown will turn green. So I'm sitting here with bleach in my hair and a frownie face. Hopefully it doesn't turn out too bad. The first pic is what it looked like after the remover. This is the color I chose and the last pic is the after pic. It looks darker in the pic thank it really is.

Bright Sunshining Day

2008-04-06T17:46:00.002-04:00

The walk was a success!! I had such a wonderful time and hundreds of people came out to help fight homelessness. Thank you so much to those of you who supported me.

Dark Days

2008-04-01T18:34:00.011-04:00

Homelessness is something I take very seriously. Especially homelessness among people between the ages of 18-25 .

Homelessness can happen to anyone for a multitude of reasons. This year I'm walking to fight homelessness and I need your donations. I picked two organizations that specialize in homeless people ages 16-20.

one is called Mother Hubbards Cupboard and they do food projects in my community and the other is called Stepping Stones.

Visit my personal donation page to learn more about Homeward Bound and how you can help:

http://homewardboundindiana.org/profile/MelDummett

PS. A great documentary is Dark Days. The film follows a group of people living in an abandoned section of the New York City underground railway system, more precisely the area of the so called Freedom Tunnel

lonely

2008-03-31T20:39:00.001-04:00

Meditation

2008-03-31T11:07:00.004-04:00

This is something I haven't thought much about in a while. Last night I was talking with a friend who had just visited the Tibetan Cultural Center in town and he was telling me about how he is getting into meditation.

I am a certified yoga instructor and my focus was walk-thru meditation. Our conversation inspired me to get out my yoga books and read last night. I forgot how it calms the mind and can help you learn to be still in encounters and think before you act or talk. These are two things I really need right now. My mind is always racing with ideas and thoughts and worries. I am going to start setting time aside everyday to get back into meditation. I remember how amazing it was when I used to do it.

If you want any tips on mediation hit me up. I absolutely love helping others with it.

Welcome to the new indie fad

2008-03-26T13:39:00.003-04:00

I'm sure it'll just be a matter of time before this becomes the new cool thing. I'm sure having a Polaroid camera will get you as much cred in the indie scene as those vintage t-shirts you got at Goodwill.

If I'm understanding this correctly, which I'm sure I am, Polaroid has shut it's doors on instant film. The company, which stopped making instant cameras for consumers a year ago and for commercial use a year before that, said today that as soon as it had enough instant film manufactured to last it through 2009, it would stop making that, too. Three plants that make large-format instant film will close by the end of the quarter, and two that make consumer film packets will be shut by the end of the year.

So go get yourself a Polaroid camera and plenty of film before they become extinct.

The World's Greatest College Weekend

2008-03-26T09:05:00.002-04:00

The Little 500 (also known popularly as the "Little Five" and part of "The World's Greatest College Weekend") is a bicycle race held annually at Bill Armstrong Stadiu m on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Racers compete in teams of four, racing relay-style for 200 laps (50.98 miles) along a quarter-mile (410-meter) cinder track.

The race is a major social event on campus during the spring. The race has expanded into a whole week of activities since its original founding. Other student celebrations during the weekend of the race have helped earn it the title of "The World's Greatest College Weekend," and it is the busiest weekend of the year for the Bloomington Police Department. Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said that the race was "the coolest event I ever attended."

So what I'm saying is. If you want to visit me. Visit me during Little 500. April 11-12. The entire town shuts down to celebrate for a week straight. From what I hear it gets pretty insane and don't expect to sleep. These darn college kids party until the break of dawn. Literally.

6 pair a kicks my definition a twelve steps

2008-03-25T22:33:00.001-04:00

I have an odd obsession with sneakers at the moment. I just bought these ones. I am in love with them. That is all.

These are a few of my favorite things

2008-03-24T13:43:00.003-04:00

I have an oil burner for my room and I couldn't decide what I wanted to burn in it until I found a site that sold all my favorite scents in oil form. I am in heaven. I ordered freshly cut grass, fresh baked bread, fresh linen, coconut paradise, and blooming tulips. I can not wait until these items arrive!!

I ordered them from www.naturesgardencandles.com

the site gives points for each order and for ordering these at $2.50 each I earned $12.48. It's not a bad deal.

However DO NOT USE this site: www.etsy.com

I ordered freshly cut grass scented incense from them and the seller ripped me off by taking my money and never sending me anything. Shyster.

Spring Fever

2008-03-24T13:14:00.004-04:00

I've got my windows open today letting the sun in and I'm about to bake some bread!

It's time to get serious about my Spring Cleaning.

Out with the old and in with the new.

Ferrari Red

2008-03-23T21:22:00.003-04:00

I bought a Ferrari Red retro phone to plug into my cell phone for four reasons:

1) it was free with my Amazon gift certificate.
2) resting my phone against my cheek effs up my face
3) I am nervous about radio waves and brain tumors
4) I'm pretty much amazing and so is this

be jealous haters. Oh and get one for yourself. They are cheaper on the actual website than they are on amazon and there are nicer looking ones if you want to drop $30-$50, but you don't. So get it.

WEBSITE LINK

The handy handset for your hand-held phone. Instantly turn your state-of-the-art cell phone into a relic from the 50's! Just plug the retro handset right into the earphone jack and get cool. Available in Kit Kat Black or Ferrari Red, with matching coiled cord. Three plug adaptors included to fit almost any cell phone. This retro handset doesn't really make sense but it sure is fun. Whether you're trying to minimize your exposure to radio wave transmission or just having a goof, you'll look just swell! This is a totally working handset that's compatible with almost any cell phone in the US market. 8.5 in.

Aloe Plants

2008-03-23T14:32:00.007-04:00

It's always nice to have plants in your room, apartment, house, office, etc. It brightens the room and gives you something to take care of. I have about 7 houseplants of all varieties desperately clinging to life and I do my best to take care of them, but honestly they don't have a fighting chance! One plant that has done exceptionally well with my haphazard care taking is the amazing little plant called Aloe.

Aloe is a plant we all know from when we had sunburns growing up. My mom kept her bottle of it in the fridge and it was especially soothing on those sunburns.

When I was going through all those medical problems in 2006 and they had me on a million different miracle pills for the hole in my stomach lining that their other miracle pills caused that's when I discovered just how amazing this little plant is.

None of their pills or diets were helping me so I went to a health food store and they recommended that I drink some aloe juice. If you ever get the chance to taste it or see it you'll see why I couldn't be a trooper about it. If you can, kudos to you! I did however start taking pure aloe gel caps. It fixed my stomach in no time and I was in love.

Just the other day I met a doctor and she and I were discussing holistic medicine vs. pharmaceutical companies because I told her I was majoring in biotechnology. I personally hate most pharmaceutical anything and most of what we are doing in the biotech field. But I digress.

She told me a little secret.
She told me that girls should put pure aloe (a broken off piece of the plant or bottled pure aloe extract) all over their girly parts everyday. Allegedly it does wondrous things also say goodbye to razor burn in your bikini area too. Anyway I had never heard it before so I wanted to pass on the news.

Water water everywhere

2008-03-23T13:58:00.003-04:00

WATER.
IT'S SOMETHING WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED

Take a walk down memory lane with me for a minute will you. Remember when you were a kid and you'd walk around the neighborhood or ride around on your bike in hopes of running into friends and slowly your gang would grow and you'd play all day. When you got thirsty what did you do? Did you go to the store and buy a bottle of water? NO! You went into the closest friends house and grabbed (most likely a plastic) cup and filled it at the sink and drank it. So why do you buy bottled water now?

Did you know that people's thirst for bottled water is producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy, even in areas where perfectly good drinking water is available on tap. (as in America, you silly goose)

If you choose to get your recommended eight glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,400 annually. The same amount of tap water would cost about 49 cents.

Tap Water Regulated by EPA	Bottled Water Regulated by FDA
Cannot have confirmed E. coli or fecal Coliform bacteria.	A certain amount of any bacteria is allowed.
Filtered and/or disinfected	No federal filtration or disinfection requirements.
Violation of drinking water standards are grounds for enforcement.	Bottled water in violation of standards can still be sold.
Utilities must have their water tested by certified labs.	Such testing is not required for bottlers.
Tap water results must be reported to state or federal officials.	There are no reporting requirements for bottlers.
Water system operators must be certified.	Bottled water plant operators do not have to be certified.
Water suppliers must issue consumer confidence reports annually.	There are no public right-to-know requirements for bottlers.
Costs pennies a day	Costs $.80 to $4.00 per gallon.
Contains essential nutrients for the body such as calcium and iron.	Natural minerals are removes by filtration.
Chlorine residual in water to prevent bacteria growth.	No disinfectant present to kill bacteria in bottles.

So do yourself and the environment a favor and buy a reusable water bottle and start filling. It's on tap!

From sunrise to sunset

2008-03-19T20:28:00.003-04:00

I had an amazing day yesterday. I got up before the sun and headed to the beach to watch the sunrise. I think sunrises are amazing and I'm really not that moved by sunsets. My boss/friend Sarah and I were talking about this right before I left. She feels the same way. During a sunrise everything is still and quiet and the dust and dirt of the world is settled under the dew. You can hear the birds and feel the stillness. yeah. Anyway then later that night I got to watch the sun set from the plane above the clouds over the ocean. I was pretty happy about being able to say good morning and goodnight to the sun over the waves.

Bboy Battle

2008-02-20T17:21:00.003-05:00

I have been out and about a lot lately so I haven't been online long enough to do much more than school work. I went to the final day of IU's Hip Hop Week and my friends Chino and Sanai competed. Chino is in the blue dress shirt and Sanai is in the black pants. I don't know who the third guy is, but he won. He had a great energy and was having fun with it.

Stuff White People Like

2008-02-18T21:33:00.002-05:00

This is quite possibly the funniest and most entertaining blog I have ever read. If you have some time I highly suggest visiting it and flipping through the posts. Don't forget the older ones too. SO FUNNY!

Stuff White People Like

Detox: mind, body, soul

2008-02-17T14:30:00.005-05:00

When I was getting certified as a yoga instructor I had to learn all about body cleanses, detoxes, meditations, stretching, netis (the salt water thru the nose into the mouth) among other things and I learned how beneficial most of those things are as I was learning to do them. The last two weeks have been insane and I don't think I've gotten to bed earlier than 4am most nights/mornings. So this week I am going to go on a full on yoga detox. I will keep you updated daily on what is going on with it in case you'd like to do one as well. (however I am not responsible for any side effects or health problems in your life, I am writing about a detox I know is fit for me personally)

I am going to do a very mild detox for five days starting today and today I am just taking a technology break for my mind and replacing that time with stretching and meditation. I am making sure to get the 8 glasses of water today and I am starting with a warm glass of lemon water.

Off the computer goes :)

Pittsburgh

2008-02-10T12:53:00.000-05:00

I made it to Pittsburgh with Tessa last weekend and we had a blast! We saw Madball, Sick of it All, Death Before Dishonor, and Wisdom in Chains at club Diesel. The crowd was rowdy and the bouncers let everyone do their thing in the pit which was nice because there were very bogus rumors about the bouncers being tough and the show getting shut down. We ended up talking with one bouncer and they were way cool guys. There were people crowd surfing and a wall of death etc.
Then we all stayed in Pittsburgh that night and headed out to the incline and the Southside to Station Square the next day. We went sight seeing all over Pittsburgh and we are coming back when the weather is warmer to do it again.

We toured Franklin as well and got some of that lovely Kings food. I keep forgetting how awesome Kings is, and I don't know how that is possible considering how often I ate there. (every single night for months) So much food for so cheap. Haters step! ha

I'm back

2008-02-06T15:03:00.001-05:00

But I'm feeling under the weather with the flu.
Updates soon. AND PICTURES OF PIT!! YAY!

I'll see you when I get back

2008-01-29T16:02:00.000-05:00

I am getting ready to go out of town on a road trip for four or five days so I wont be updating until I get back early next week. I don't like it when people take days to update their blogs without good reason so I thought I would get the word out.

We're not in Jersey anymore

2008-01-27T21:45:00.001-05:00

Hahaha really?!?! That girl is my hero!

please please please

2008-01-26T00:31:00.000-05:00

check out this blog! http://bonobohandshake.blogspot.com/
and this website: http://www.friendsofbonobos.org

Deforestation is real and we need to do something about it!

"Bonobo share 98.7% of our DNA, equal to our more famous cousins, chimpanzees. But unlike chimps, we know hardly anything about them. Part of the reason for this is that there's been civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the last 10 years and bonobos don't live anywhere else. The other reason is that to see wild bonobos, you have to be prepared to canoe for 4 days up the Congo River through malaria infested swamps."

Money wasters

2008-01-25T10:52:00.000-05:00

If you add up the amount of money wasted on little things throughout your week you might be alarmed at how much money you are literally throwing away. That money could be put aside to travel or you could invest it so your wasted money can actually start making you money. It's money you spend already so it's not like it'll be missed.

1. Save your change. Save it in a jar and watch it grow. You'll be surprised at how much money you end up with after a few months and the bonus is it's money you aren't counting anyway.

2. Stop buying bottled water. We live in America people. The tap water here has to pass regulations and they are stricter regulations than bottled water has. Buy a reusable water bottle and spend $4 once instead of buying bottled waters for $1.50 three or four times a week and spending $312 a year...on nothing. Not only will you be saving your wallet you'll be saving the environment. Now you have $312 for electronics, travel, savings etc.

3. BUDGET! I can't stress this enough. We aren't 17 anymore and our money has serious places to go. Decide how much you WANT to spend on food, entertainment, bills, etc a month and then live within your means. Plan your meals for the week and go to.......wait for it... ALDI's! It's the same food, but really cheap. Remember the dollar store where "Everything is just $1.00" well hey guess what, it really is. Get your batteries and junk foods and cleaners there. Picture frames and wrapping paper. Spatulas and tupperware. Suck up the pride and be a smart spender. With all the money you save you'll be laughing it up on a cruise ship in the Bahamas.

4. Remember those jeans you bought that don't really fit, and those books you got off Amazon you're never going to get around to reading? How about that shirt you ordered online that you're never going to wear? Did you return those items?!?! (or resell the books on Amazon) Why not?!?! Why did you just literally throw away $30 because it was easier than keeping track of a receipt or going to the post office??? *slaps forehead*

5. Cell phone plans. Do you really need to be able to connect to the internet 24/7 and play games everywhere you go? Stop letting them suck you in to their music plans and their internet and gaming plans. You don't really need this stuff at all, but you do need a retirement plan. So how about canceling those plans and using the monthly money to deposit into a Roth IRA where your money can make you money and help you get closer to retirement?

6. Stuff you can't live without. Do you really need to buy candy bars every time you go to a store? Does your life depend on a $4 bag of chips? Do you really need all those subscriptions and memberships? How many do you actually use? Be careful about impulse buying at the store, make a list, then stick to it (if you have a particularly hard time with this only carry enough money to cover what you're going for). If your shoes still fit and they're doing their job, wait until yours stop working as...I don't know...shoes before you go out and get that "cool" new pair.

7. Be kind to the environment and your electric bill. Turn off appliances you aren't using. Turn off the computer at night. Keep the monitor off when it's not in use. Unplug your phone charger. Turn off the lights. Keep the heat down and put on a sweatshirt. Replace your bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. They use 75% less energy and can save you $30 on your electric bill.

8. Eating out. Come on people, what happened to learning to cook and eating together in the comfort of your own home where you can pick and choose what's on the menu and exactly how it's made???? Stop buying pasta at restaurants, they are ripping you off. Always order water and nothing else, skip dessert and appetizers except on special occasions. If you must eat out, at least order something that is cheaper to eat out or that you know you can't/wont make at home. If eating out is a social thing then just order a side and chat away. Take your leftovers home and your meal becomes two meals.

9. Walk/ride a bike/skate when you can instead of driving. Please see previous blog post.

10. Pay off those credit cards! Then stick them in a drawer and stop using them for little purchases. If you paid off those credit cards you are GAINING 19% interest on your money automatically. Most money market accounts have a 10 or 11% return rate. Do you see where I'm going with this?

Now that you have all this money laying around, put it to good use. Savings accounts, money market accounts, Roth IRA's. Do something productive with it. Make your money work for you for a change. Get away on a vacation and relax for once without feeling guilty.

no gas for me

2008-01-23T23:27:00.001-05:00

I am fortunate enough to live in a town where I can walk to mostly everything and the things I can't walk to I can take the bus. I don't even own a car anymore since I gave mine away. So I am not up on current gas prices. I overheard some kids talking about how much they spend on gas a month and I almost choked. I live in the same town as them, they can walk to most of the places they're driving.

It's cold and it's winter, I know, but I walk everywhere and I have Raynaud's and I fair just fine. Slip on some gloves and a scarf and get an umbrella for the rainy days. Walks are a form of exercise and it gives you time to clear your head and become aware of your surroundings. Is seven blocks really that far to you? If it is then you know you need to start walking more because you definitely aren't getting enough exercise.

How much do you spend a month on gas!?! Do you really need to?! Can you walk or ride a bike or use public transportation? The whole oil industry is fishy at best and I think we can all take extra steps for our health, our wallets, and our Earth and back way off on the gasoline.

日本国

2008-01-23T14:17:00.000-05:00

Falling in love with Japan.
Slowly, but surely.

Trashy Celeb gossip

2008-01-21T16:56:00.000-05:00

come on. Who really sits through their work day with work to do? These are my favorite trashy celeb gossip sites. Oh Britney...

www.tmz.com

www.thesuperficial.com

Hair Tricks

2008-01-21T14:12:00.000-05:00

I have naturally dry frizzy hair prone to split ends and after a trip to Utah for Liz and Steve's wedding I got to meet the infamous hair dresser Cliff (in 2005) I now have sleek, shiny, healthy, insanely soft hair. I cut my own hair and use a razor comb to get that jagged bottom look every three weeks. I recommend trims that often because it has really made a difference. If you're not keen on dying and cutting your own hair Janice at Nancy's Hairloft in Grove City is beyond amazing and she is up to date with cuts and punk hair and scene hair. She truly knows what she is doing.

Here are the tricks:

I used to use Pantiene Pro-V. I swore by it. And for good reason, I had wonderful hair for a while when I used it, but then all of a sudden it would start to get filmy and nasty and I'd get uber split ends. Turns out their secret ingredient is wax which makes your hair super dry in the long run. I switched to Dove's Advance Care Therapy shampoo and conditioner. It took a few uses to get my hair nice, but my hair has been amazing since. I wont use anything else. (and it's nice to dyed hair)

I follow up post shower with bed heads Ego Boost (cheap on ebay) to manage my split ends and it works wonders. It never weighs my hair down or makes it look like I have product in it. I'm not a fan of the greasy product hair and that's why I love Bed Head and Catwalk products. This bottle lasts me about 6 months and I use about three squirts a day. (used on wet hair)

Ideally I use their after-party to manage fly aways and frizz, but it's expensive and I don't have $17 to drop on it. The bottle lasts about a year and I used about one pump a day. The product I absolutely love that I used in it's place isn't sold anymore. of course. so I am trying out John Frieda's shine shock. It works well, but it's just not the same. (used on wet hair)

For rainy days or days I know I want a little extra softness and shine I use one tiny little speck of this stuff in my wet hair. (Bed Head Shine Serum) The bottle has lasted me since 2005 and I still have a third of the bottle left. It really really really makes your hair shine.

Since my hair dries out so easily I have to be careful about hair dryers or I'll get that awful frizzy dull dry look. This hair dryer was sent from God. I'm convinced. (Vidal Sassoons 1875 Ionic) I have no idea how much it costs or where to get it because my dad bought it and realized it wasn't what he was trying to buy and gave it to me. *cue angels singing* I'm sure it's not much and at Wal Mart, but I really don't know. I use it on the warm setting on high and make sure the ionic button on top says "on". I also use the shown attachment. Honestly nothing I say will give this product justice.

And I use this every so often when I'm doing a style where I need piecing paste. Which isn't often anymore. But this is the best piecing paste I have ever ever ever used. If your hair is double processed (bleached and dyed) and just trashed in general using a dab of this on wet hair will help you out so much. To use it as piecing paste just apply a small amount to dry hair. You will, without fail, get compliments on how good your hair smells every time you use it.

Prosopagnosia or face-blindness

2008-01-21T12:14:00.000-05:00

Imagine going to the grocery store and having someone come up to you and the conversation going like this:
Them: Hey (your name) I haven't seen you in forever how are you?!
you: (I don't recognize this person, but they seem kinda familiar) Hey!! I know how have you been?
Them: Really good! It was so nice to see you!
You:(phew, they couldn't tell) I know you'll have to call me sometime! Bye!
Them: I will! Bye!

or even worse you're at a party and this happens and you're stuck in the situation where you need to introduce people. ugh. the worst right?

Well imagine that happening with almost every face aside from people you see often and you will know what it's like for my Grandma Edwards and myself. We can recognize you through verbal cues or if we always see you in the same place (like a doctor - right g-ma hehe), but switch anything up on us and we're lost. I've gotten to the point where I tell people this when I meet them to avoid an awkward run-in later and most people just laugh it off like I'm not being that serious. They have no idea how awkward it is for us.

Apparently you can become Prosopagnosic or face-blind two different ways. You can be born that way making it hereditary (like me and my grams) or you can get it from a blow to the head or a stroke. (I wonder if redheads are more likely to have it?)

According to Harvard's medical research it can come accompanied by other types of recognition impairments such as place recognition, car recognition, facial expression of emotion, etc. So maybe this explains why I'm so horrid finding my way around....anywhere... haha and hence the joke "I don't even know half the people I know"

A cause I'm starting to feel strongly about

2008-01-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to realize the impacts of messing with mother nature. I understand we need to make adjustments as a human race to survive and live and I'm not trying to take some "this would work in theory" approach. HOWEVER I think we mess with things we shouldn't be messing with. For example deforestation and drudging the wetlands. The effects of Hurricanne Katrina (which I lived through among others) would not have been as bad if the residents near the wetlands didn't cause the wetlands to recess.

Jane Goodall has always been someone I looked up to, I think we all have. She talks about the effects of deforestation on the animal life. Did you know the wild chimp population of Tanzania (where she studied chimps) has gone from over a million to about 150,000 due to deforestation?

If you're interested in knowing more I recommend reading up on this site and also watching Hurricane On The Bayou. There are things you can do to help, like not using bags and recycling, and buying recycled paper.

http://www.janegoodall.org/

Beauty Tips and Tricks

2008-01-20T11:04:00.000-05:00

From my experiences at modeling shoots and shows and talking to the make up artists I picked up quite a few tips and tricks and thought I'd share them:

Milk of Magnesia: This makes an amazing face mask believe it or not. It shrinks your pores and if you have an oily face you can put a VERY thin layer on before your make up and you'll be shine free all day. Just make sure you moisturize after you use it as a mask.

For super white nails mix one drop bleach per 10 drops water and soak the tips of your fingers for a minute or two. Also moisturize afterwards.

While shaving use a cheap conditioner as your shaving cream to avoid razor burn and nicks

Prenatal vitamins will enhance your mood significantly and make your hair and nails grow stronger and healthier. (another vitamin that just did the skin, hair, and nails wonders is OneSource for the hair, skin, and nails. But the prenatals really make a difference in mood.)

I recently found out about some make up that makes your skin look flawless and glowy. I get a lot of compliments on how nice my skin is now, and it definitely isn't nice, but no one has to know. There are three steps to it and no worries, you don't feel or look like 'make-up face'. Start with Clean and Clears dual action face moisturizer and when it dries put on CG Smoothers in a tone that matches your skin color. Apply your concealer if you think you'll need it (I have been using CG invisible concealer, if your skin isn't that bad the other stuff covers most everything) Then finally use a brush to brush on CG TruBlend POWDER in a shade or two darker than your skin tone. (you wont have a line or look like an 'orange person') make sure to brush down your neck too. The results are amazing.

That's all I have for now, If I remember anything else I'll add it and if you know of anything else let me know!!

Give it a click

2008-01-19T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hi all you animal lovers! This is pretty simple! Pass on the word to as many people as you can and encourage them to pass it on to their friends.

The animal rescue site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota that enables them to give free food to shelter animals that have been abused and neglected.

This will take about 20 seconds of your time and you have to sign up for nothing. It's totally free. Go to the site at the bottom of this post and click the purple box marked "fund food for animals for free" Their corporate sponsors use the daily number of visits to donate food in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

two-steppin

2008-01-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

I have been going to Uncle Fester's for the shows lately and I love it. Last night I went out with Tessa for DJ Wushu's farewell night.
The line up: M-80, Bronze Nazareth, The Wisemen, Tree city allstars and my favorite Sonny Bamboo

If you're in the Bloomington area I suggest you check it out sometime and if you're not I suggest you come visit me and we'll check it out together :)

worst day

2008-01-18T18:35:00.000-05:00

Bordem Cures, World Cures

2008-01-17T09:18:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to use my free time more productively since I am starting into my semester and I know I wont have much free time left soon. While I was cruising the information super highway I found a site that tells you how you can make a difference in your everyday life. One of their suggestions was to volunteer instead of watch tv. I love volunteering, but sometimes it's hard to know where and how to get started. Every city/town has a newspaper site or a site online for their city itself and both sites have a contact email. The people working with either site will be able to direct you to your cause of choice. We all get bored, now we can use our boredom to make a difference.

http://www.change.org/
http://www.everydayactivist.com
http://www.janegoodall.org/
http://www.freerice.com

Paper or Plastic?

2008-01-16T15:29:00.001-05:00

In my ever growing attempt to be more earth friendly and animal friendly I have decided to stop using store bags. No paper, no plastic for me. My roommate Teener is a team lead at Target and let me know that they were starting to "go green" and sell these reusable shopping bags. Not only are they super cute but they are only $1.49. They come in different styles, some fold up, some zip up, and some are just regular bags. I picked up three to get me going. The time is now :)

A black wedding dress

2008-01-15T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hmm I have been lurking around on the net and noticed that in Paris the fashion shows for the bridal gowns of 2008 are using black wedding dresses. I just want to get it out there that I have planned on wearing a black wedding dress since I thought of my own wedding!! I am so mad that anchors got trendy and if this gets trendy I don't want to seem like I'm following the trend.

ha.

The awwww factor

2008-01-14T22:12:00.001-05:00

My little Snoop Dogg wanted to say "Herro friends".

My summer living quarters

2008-01-14T06:55:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of my living quarters I will have for my summer job in South Carolina and a picture of the cutest little girls that I will be nannying.