Walking in a Winter [Washington]...

....or I could have named it "I had a heater in my pajama pants." Hahaha. Be patient, I'll get there. In the meantime, since we've been freezing our patooties off up here in Washington, let's pretend it's Christmas time and listen to this mood music.

So it's been snowing. And raining. And I think they call that sleet. I asked my mom who came up with that name for it, and pondered all the reasons why they wouldn't go with something a little more appropriate, like snain. You know, since it's a combination of both... Here's something I didn't know about snow: the larger the flakes (at least around here), the wetter they usually are. This usually means it won't stick. Today we had really large flakes. Wet flakes. It was like drops of slushee. One actually hit me between my nose and mouth. This was while I was out walking with Sue. Because, yeah, we kept up our tradition.

So this is what I look like after I go walking in a Wet Winter Washington (it's still legitimately winter):

I hope you realize the shiny-ness is because I was soaking wet. Soaking wet, believe me. I had layers on, and the water soaked right through onto the sweater underneath that big jacket. I should have implemented the layered look for my legs as well. They didn't bode as well as the rest of my bod. Hahaha... I love English.

See? (the picture really doesn't do it justice... These things were sunburn red. By the way, these are my knees looking down to my shins, for comparison purposes.):

I believe that look is called windburn (not to be mistaken with sunburn). I'm also pretty sure that my thighs (which is the very red part in the picture) were numb. Because as I warmed up inside, they started to feel itchy. Then they felt even more itchy in the shower. And then, when I was done with my shower, they started to emanate heat. So when I pulled on my pajama pants, it felt like I had my own little space heater (or pair of them) in my pants. Seriously, I could feel the heat radiating off my legs, being trapped by the pajama pants, and returning back to my skin. It felt like a sunburn. For real.)

And here's another picture, just because I liked it.

In other news... I'm working on a job application. It requires to know even more (different) stuff than I've had to look up before. I already have all my addresses from the past 7 years of my life. This time, I needed to know how many semester hours I took at each college/university I attended. Fun. So I delved into my old files and found old report cards from Wallace and Troy, as well as my multiple lists I kept to keep track of what classes I would take when in order to graduate ASAP (with my undergrad). Thank goodness I am anal retentive about lists... I had this information in triplicate. Hahaha. Of course, this also allowed me to "stumble upon" my old papers for English class once again. Yeesh I had forgotten how much ink Dr. Gusick would use to grade my papers! I think they could still bleed a rainbow (no kidding, there is yellow highligher, red, pen green pen, purple pen, and pencil to name a few I saw today). It still surprises me just a little that I got A's in her classes (I think she was generous at report card time, because she certainly slayed me on my tests and papers). But, despite all the papers and hard work those classes were, I actually do look back fondly on them. As I was looking over my list of all the classes I took to get a Bachelor's degree, I was quite astounded by just how many classes I actually took! It seems so long ago, really, and like it all happened to someone else. Isn't that kind of funny?

Well, this week promises to be a great one. I may watch Christina's girls so she and Nick can go see a movie. I will be taking off Friday and Saturday from the library and hanging out with Rebecca watching 80s flicks, eating junk, and going to see West Side Story with Lea and a bunch of ladies from the library (Lea's son is the lead in the play). Yep, it's going to be a fun-filled week. So cheers ;).

Previously Untitled On Accident...

Well, another week has zoomed on by. It was a pretty decent week. Full of the typical ups and downs of life. I did my usual work stuff. We are planning a huge party at the funeral home. It's going to be a blast. And I promise to have pictures, because goodness knows it's going to be a sight to see! Our Party Planning Committee met Wednesday evening to go over the finer details. We are going all-out. I'm so excited.

Thursday night, Rebecca and I hit the mall and Target and just hung out. We got nachos and soda (well, Rebecca got a slushee and pasta) while at Target, and I made the same mistake I always make: I opted for cherry coke. Which is caffeinated. And it was 8 p.m. The result was an inability to fall asleep until 2 in the morning. I never learn... Hahaha. Maybe I will remember for the next time?

This week was hideously cold in Washington. It was predicted to bring snow. And it did... For some parts of the state. Just not my specific area (though everywhere surrounding me got snow). I was really hoping for the snow. It would have meant some paid days snuggled up in bed ;). Oh well... But if it's not going to snow and do something useful... Then it should stop being 20-something and 30-something degress. I'm just sayin'.

Friday night I hung out with a few ladies from church. We enjoyed dinner, dessert (in honor of Heidi's birthday), and The Singles Ward (church-ish movie that never ceases to make me laugh).

Today after work, my mom and I went to Fred Meyer and picked up Benjamin's birthday present. Well, she did.... I already had mine. Well, Fred Meyer didn't have a huge toy selection, and we had plenty of time, so we headed to Wal-Mart. Then we met everyone at Shari's and ate dinner. Desiree got her ears pierced today, so she was very excited about that. We enjoyed all being together. After we were done eating, we headed to Brad and Tarylyn's for the rest of the celebration. Benjamin opted to open presents first. At one point, he picked the one I had given him. I said, "That one's from Aunt Hila." Samuel said, "Which is you. What? Do you think she (pointing to my mom) is Aunt Hila?" That kid is something else. So here is Benjamin with a present from his Nonna and Papi in Alabama:
And here he is being sung to by everyone. Happy Birthday Benjamin!!

And here he is! Big Boy Benjamin is 5!!!

A Blustery Birthday

I woke up and heard the wind howling outside this morning. Seriously howling. So I went outside while I was waiting for Lea to get here, and both the trash can (which we weigh down with a brick) and the recycle bin (which is pretty heavy itself) were in the driveway, having fallen over off the little spot where we keep them by the house. So that was pretty clear proof that it was really blowing. Well, that and the gusts that started whipping around me like crazy as I tried to pick everything up. I had set my book, my metal drinking bottle full of orange juice, and my purse on the top of my car. The wind blew the book open, the metal bottle with juice in it off my car, and my bookmark out of my book and onto the floor. And my hands were burning. Phew! What a windstorm!

Work went pretty quickly today, and there was plenty to do, so that is always nice. When I got home, my mom and I headed to the state park where Christina was planning to do the little shindig for Desiree... Well, as we got there, there was a downed power line, plus the park was closed! Arg! So we went to a different park. The kids had fun, despite the very very cold wind. The temperature was 42 degrees (it was a beautiful day, indeed) but with the wind chill, it felt like freezing! I think the adults cared more about this than the kids, though. And that's what matters most... that the kids had fun. In addition to her cousins, a little boy from Desiree's school class came to celebrate her birthday. Which really warmed my heart. Which probably sounds stupid. But love is funny... I love her, so I want her to have friends who come to celebrate her birthday, etc. That is important in a child's life...

Anyway, so here are a few pictures from the windy park. (By the way, we were not the only ones out in this cold wind... the park was full of kids and parents all bundled up so they could enjoy the sunshine, despite the cold. We were, however, the only ones with someone wearing flip flops and no socks: Christina... She said her feet were numb).

Emily getting pushed in the swing by Saria.
Desiree blowing out her candles:

Desiree opening her presents:

Good news for Hila: I found giant chewy sweettarts! At Walgreens no less! However, I wasted a buck at the dollar store buying these cookie and cream bites (kind of like the cookie dough bites). So in case you were wondering... Don't buy them.

And I got a Valentine package from April, Greg, Courntey, baby Bennett and the kitties! They are such wonderful people, and I miss them incredibly (and hope to meet Bennett soon!):

So anyway, it was a good day, and I plan to relax and read tonight :). Tomorrow I'll be making a "jelly roll" cake for Monday Meals. Vegetable will be broccoli and cauliflower au gratin. Cheese, glorious cheese! It makes everything better :).

My Funny Valentines

Ah yes, it is the day of love. Argument can be made (and rightly so) that every day is a day for love. But today was the day nationally recognized to recognize that love, I suppose you could say :). And okay, so I lack a Valentine of the tall, dark, handsome, smart, and between the ages of 30 and 35 persuasion. But maybe what I have is even better. Because I had not just one Valentine... I had 5. Five funny Valentines. And I have to say, the best ones ever.
Gaping nostril shot aside, this is a picture of my big girl Desiree buckled in after I picked her up from school. Look at how happy she looks. She is just the absolute sweetest ever. She held my hand as we walked back to my car from her classroom, and I asked her where we were going. She said, "It's a surprise, so I won't tell you until we get into the car." Then she informed me that she had a message for Grandma. I asked her what the message was. This was it: "Tell Grandma I love her with all my heart." Seriously the most loving child. How I adore her.

So where did the birthday girl pick to go for her special birthday time with Aunt Hila? McDonalds! Hahaha. I think the knowledge of the Play Place was a big contributing factor to that choice. What kind of kid would turn down the Play Place? So we drove on over to Mickey-D's and got out of the car. She told me that, since it was for her birthday, everything had to be a last minute surprise, so she wasn't going to tell me what she wanted to order until we got up to the counter. It was not busy at all, so the guy behind the counter was really nice and let Desiree pick her own toy. He even pulled out all the different ponies they had in stock so she could see each one and pick the one she wanted. I think that was a special thing, even though I didn't mention it was her birthday or anything. So while we waited for our food, Desiree picked a table. She picked one with really high chairs. And we took a few pictures there. What do you need to know if you take a picture with Desiree? Well, you need to know that you say what she says when the flash goes off. Usually this is "Cheese!" But today, we also had to say "Bunny Cheese!" I messed that up one time, and so we had to re-do it and I had to say "Bunny Cheese!" that time. I'm not sure where she comes up with these phrases, but I'm happy to humor her sweet little self and follow her rules :).

Our food was ready shortly after we took these pictures. And then she fell off the tall chair twice, one time bumping her chin. Which resulted in a few tears, which is, frankly, heart breaking on such a special occasion. So we decided it would behoove us to move to a shorter booth, and that's just what we did. And so we talked. We discussed letters and sounds. We discussed how she got to be a red blood cell in P.E. today. We talked about what red blood cells do. And Desiree played Punchbuggy. She is such a happy girl. And so sweet. So here is my beautiful 6 year old niece, posing with bunny ears (perhaps his is where Bunny Cheese came from?):

I let her play in the Play Place for an hour. She makes "friends" easily. And the age of the people in the Play Place does not determine whether or not she will be their friend and ask them to play. She got two sisters involved in playing "Princess." At one point, I heard her say, "I'm the boss of the game..." I didn't hear the rest, but I did hear her assure them that they could be whatever characters they wanted to be in this little game. Maybe being bossy is just a rite of passage for an older sister? Because at one point, I told her not to be bossy with the other girls, and the mom of the other girls looked over at me and laughed and said, "I think they are a good match, because mine is like that too!" But Desiree is so patient. So kind and compassionate. So forgiving. At one point, when she first started playing with the littler girl, and they were in the middle of the Play Place, I heard Desiree call out to the little girl, "I want you to meet someone! It's my Aunt Hila!" And sure enough, she brought the little girl out to meet me.

Before we left, I bought us each an ice cream sundae. I got hot fudge, she wanted strawberry. And then we packed up and headed to her house. I ended up staying and visiting for a bit. Spent some time with Emily. So I had Emily on one side and Desiree on the other, snuggled up to me for about 30 minutes. And when I left, they both cried. Which is absolutely heart-breaking. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so I didn't get any pictures of little miss Emily. But she sure is sweet, even when she tries to give me boogers. Ew!

I then headed to Brad and Tarylyn's to watch their kids so they could go out for Valentine's Day. I hadn't seen the kids since Christmas, so I am so glad I got the chance to see them today. They are such sweethearts. Both Samuel and Saria gave me and my mom Valentine's candy, and Saria even made us our very own Valentines. She is another sweet girl. Amazingly sensitive in so many ways, attuned to the feelings of those she loves. She is really growing into such a beautiful girl.

Samuel is always a cutie. I may be biased, but I think this kid will grow up and be quite the little heart-breaker. And his off-the-wall commentary continues to be hilarious and, well, off the wall. At one point, before Brad and Tarylyn left, they were talking about the kids not doing something, and Samuel piped in and said, "What about looking both ways before eating a sandwich?" What!?! Sam is still a snuggler. When we sit and read books, he is always the first to ask if he can sit in my lap. I know there will come a day when he no longer wants to do this, so I let him anytime he asks.

Benjamin still kind of does his own thing. Although I did notice today that he has a creative streak as far as art and spacial things are concerned. We played Mouse Trap (now there's a game that never ends...) and he was over in his own little world constructing a big star out of all the cheese triangles. I have to say I was pretty impressed. It came out awesomely. The kid is not quite 5, and I'm not really sure when skills like that develop, but I haven't seen such an ability in any of the others. It seems the last two picture of Benjamin, he has had that ring on the bottom of his mouth. He keeps licking his lips and keeps getting cold sores all along where he licks. Looks painful.

So in addition to playing Mouse Trap, we also watched Beauty and the Beast and read several books I brought from the library, including "Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse," "Don't Forget the Bacon," and "Walter the Farting Dog: Banned from the Beach." By about 8:30, Brad and Tarylyn returned, and it was time for me to head home.

So I pretty much enjoyed my Valentine's Day 2011. I got heaps and heaps of love... x5. I'm one lucky lady.

Dumb as Dog

It occurred to me that if I added one letter to my blog title, it would completely change the meaning. And it would still fit. Hahaha.

Well, after showing my mom the blog with all the movie clips, it put her in the mood to watch The Great Race. I joined her. Great movie.

I have recently heard two new songs on the radio that I like. You can listen here. And here. Great songs.

Through my library where I work, I can download 3 free mp3 songs each week with my library card. Totally free. Totally keepable. Totally legal. Great deal!

Went to Lea's and watched Field of Dreams with her family. Great movie. Laughed and gabbed until around 10:20. Great times.

While at Lea's, learned that those two songs I mentioned above aren't exactly new. But what do I know about new? I don't have teenagers around, so it takes me quite a bit longer to happen upon a song I really like (especially because my car antennae is who knows where and I only manage to pick up one station, so I rarely listen to the radio :)). Not a cool Nilla.

The wind was a-howlin' yesterday. The result of this was that it blew the gate open while I was at Lea's. The result of this is that the less-than-intelligent dog (trust me, this is probably one of the dumbest dogs I have ever known) decided it would be wise to leave the yard. So when I got home, my mom asked if I had seen the dog outside. Nope. I drove around once looking for him. Nope. This resulted in lost sleep for both for me and my mom. Me because I'm in the basement and I kept hearing my grandmother get up, walk to the door, open the door, and call out for the dog. So I would listen to make sure she closed the door back and I could hear her come back across the room and dind't lock herself out. My mom because she agonized over the dog and whether or not her mom would go outside trying to look for him, so she got up at 4 a.m. to go looking for the dog again. This does not endear that dog to me any more (and we all know how much I liked the dog in the first place...). Not a smart dog.

Prior to heading to Lea's, I had waited 4 extra minutes to put my sheets into the dryer so they'd be nice and toasty warm and dry when I got home and I could make my bed. Well, I put them in the dryer. And when I got home at 10:30... I opened the dryer to get out my dry bedding. Only it was still wet. Since I never turned on the dryer. Not a smart Nilla.

So that was my weekend in a nutshell. Thrilling, no? By the way, some lady had taken in the dog for the night (and let him sleep in her bed... I find that weird) and she came around looking for where he belonged today. So he is home. She told my mom he needs to lose weight. Ya think!?! (Most of you will not know how funny this is. But I know Elka is laughing right now...).

Christina and Desiree celebrated their birthdays yesterday. Desiree is 6!!! Oh she is so big! I told Christina I'd like to pick her up from school tomorrow and take her for ice cream or something, just she and I. So when Desiree got to church this morning, she came over, snuggled up on my lap and hugged me and said, "Is it true you're going to take me to get ice cream after you pick me up at school?" She seriously melts my heart. Yes, baby girl, it's absolutely true. I will be taking pictures. Oh! And cute thing Emily did today... At the end of Sacrament meeting, we have the closing prayer. Emily was being a pill today, but at the end of Sacrament, I told her, "Okay, it's time for prayer." There she was sitting on my lap, and she folded her little arms and scrunched her eyes closed for the first time ever! (Usually she whines for a second and lays down on the pew in frustration when we tell her it's time for prayer, because they can't color or look at books during prayer). It was the cutest thing to see. My mom had Desiree on her lap and had looked over at Emily and said, "Look, she's doing it!" She is really getting big. My mom coughed at one point, and Emily looked over and said, "Bless you Gwamma!" Desiree also got to be sung to in Primary today for her birthday, and I guess she got a special present she could pick, which was very exciting for her. So yeah, me and my Des are going to spend time together tomorrow, so check back soon for pictures :).

And if you're a friend on facebook, don't be looking for food pictures tomorrow... The teenagers (Lea's kids) have special dates planned, so 3M has been postponed until next Monday.

I'm On Fire...

...or at least my mouth is. I can pretty much attest to the volcano part of Taco Bell's "volcano" menu. I feel like I just sucked on lava. But sometimes I just love some Taco Bell, and today was one of those days. And I don't care if they are being sued for advertising real beef when it's supposedly just a bunch of filler. It hasn't killed me yet. So I will keep eating my Taco Bell. After all, the theory is: whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So in a way, I'm actually helping myself. Hahaha. See, a smart woman can rationalize anything. (True, a smart woman probably wouldn't in this case, but I never said I was all that smart ;)). Anyway, listen here while you peruse the remainder of the current state of the Nilla Life. Also, I just watched that video for the song for the first time ever and it occurred to me that Bruce Springsteen sure does look like John Cusack in Say Anything. Weird.

So I filed my taxes this week. I am not getting anything exciting back, but at least I don't have to pay in. And at least it's done and over with for another year.

I'm debating starting a blog based on my Monday Meals. Any thoughts and opinions on that? It would include the recipes and the pictures, of course. And probably anecdotes from the evening or something to enhance it a bit. I already post the pictures and recipes on facebook. I get more comments from those pictures and recipes than I ever thought I would! It's kind of funny.

I finished watching My So-Called Life. And I wanted more, darn it! Unfortunately, that show was only on for one season. Boo. I have started the second season of Fringe now. I hear it got weird, so we'll see how long I last with it. But no worries, because I have the 4th and final season of Thirtysomething waiting for me at the library now. Amazing how a show that came out in your childhood and meant nothing to you then can really be something you find yourself identifying with.

I recently recommended the book Daddy Long Legs to my friend Kristin. I mentioned it a lot on this blog back in 2008. I love that book. I still talk about it. I asked Kristin if she had finished it, and she told me she had and that she loved it (and is about to start the sequel -- which I didn't know there was one, so guess what is getting added to my reading list...). So basically, if you haven't read it, you should. Especially if you like witty sarcastic female characters. Currently I am working on Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs. It always takes me a while to get into her books, and this is true this time also. I'm not quite 100 pages in yet, but I'm close, and it's finally starting to take off. I love to read, but I also love finishing a book so I can cross it off my list and move on to the next great adventure.

And lately, I have been thinking of a lot of "old" movies that I absolutely love! And I thought I'd include them here with a little clip (where available). These are all pre-1970, I believe, and they are some of the greatest movies I have ever seen. I highly recommend them. Some are black and white, and some are color. Definite proof that some of the oldies really are goodies :).

1. The Ghost Breakers. This is a Bob Hope movie. And the line in this clip here toward the end is definitely a great one. I never caught it before, but I laughed when I just saw it. I first saw this movie on TMC, and then I proceeded to buy it. Alas, I no longer own it. But I do have it on hold at the library! It is full of some really great lines and humor.

2. The Hallelujah Trail. Another classic. A Western in a lot of ways, believe it or not. But hilarious! I was probably between 10 and 12 the first time I watched it. My parents bought it on VHS (it is long enough that it required 2 of them...). You have four or 5 different groups of people all trying to deliver or prevent delivery or do something with these 40 wagons of whiskey. And what ensues is just plain awesome. "You'll forgive me if I don't get up." Hahahahaha. Watch the clip (it's actually the trailer). You'll laugh too.

3. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Again, I was young the first time I watched this. And again, it took up 2 VHS tapes. Another long one. But again, so worthwhile. The clip I included here is only one of a million I could have chosen. The beginning of the movie shows a car crash that is witnessed by 4 different carloads of people. All 4 of those cars pull off the road, and the men from each vehicle go down to the scene to try to help. The result is that they learn of a whole heap of money hidden under "A Big W." Thus begins a race to the money. If you have seen Rat Race, it's kind of like that, only better. And I liked Rat Race just fine. But this was even better. And it has a bunch of famous actors from back in the day, some of whom just cameo. Like the Three Stooges.

4. The Great Race. It's a long clip, but you won't regret it. This movie has literally been a part of my whole life. I was probably watching it since before I can even remember. We had it on betamax. Then VHS. Now I own it on DVD. It's the tale of good vs. evil as The Great Leslie and Professor Fate race from New York to Paris in cars. Full of wit, I pretty much promise it will be one of your favorites too, if you choose to try it out some time.

5. Kelly's Heroes. This one is a war movie. (And actually, this one might have been made in the 70s). I don't generally do a lot of war movies, but this one is one I've been watching for years. There are definitely humorous moments, though it does have its serious moments also. Several stars in this one as well, and the plot is that there are all these bars of gold in a bank behind German lines (set during WWII), and Kelly (Clint Eastwood) decides to rally his men -- with the help of some others -- to go in and get the gold. Additionally, it has one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. What's not to love?

6. The Private Eyes. Another one I've been watching for years (it came out the year of my birth, so also a "newbie"). Don Knotts and Tim Conway play two private detectives who are called in to solve the murders of a wealthy man and his wife. But the staff at the mansion keep turning up dead (and then their bodies disappear), as do the pigeons they keep trying to send off to "The Yard" to update them on the developments on the case.

7. Sorry, Wrong Number. Oh my gosh. This was one of the scariest movies I ever watched! We borrowed it from the library in Panama many many years ago. And it seriously freaked me out. Who needs blood, guts, and gore when you have a movie like this!?! It was plain spooky. No monsters, but somehow so much more terrifying because of that fact! This also came on Turner Classic Movies a few years back, and we recorded it. But I no longer have it :(. Anyway, the storyline is as follows: a rich woman who had been used to getting what she wanted, and is now essentially an invalid, overhears (through a mix-up at the phone company) a phone conversation about a murder... which turns out to be the planning of her own murder. This is a seriously suspenseful movie. So keep that in mind.

There are probably more. But that's what I came up with on the spot :). So, if you have Netflix or something and want to try out something new... Try out an oldie. Because those above will not disappoint!

I Can Smile at the Old Days

So I feel like writing. Not for any reason, really. I just feel like doing it. I should probably be doing this in my "memoirs" file, but for now, I'm writing here :).

I had a pretty good week. Nothing stands out as spectacular. Just a whole lot of the sameold sameold. Good news is that my phone has returned to its normal self and I didn't even have to make any changes. Perhaps it was just that they were working on whatever tower my phone "hooks" into when I'm at home. But since I still went to Best Buy with my sister, it meant I got to see the girls a little extra this week. Emily is starting to put phrases together. She grabs my hand and says, "Come on -ila." She also likes to point at things she knows the names for and she says them out loud and wants you to repeat them. Which is hard when you're driving and she is looking at something in a book. Funniest thing: she is 100% sure what a guitar is. She's been saying that word for months, which I think is hilarious. It's just so random. Amazing what kids pick up. Anyway, so I got to go with Christina to pick up Desiree from school. Oh how big she has gotten. And it's amazing the things that excite them. When we got to my car, Desiree said, "Aunt Hila's car!" I'm not sure what is exciting about riding in my car, exactly. I certainly don't get excited about my ghetto vehicle. But it's nice to watch her eyes light up over something small. I "forced" them to listen to Weird Al on the way back to the apartment. The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota to be specific. I asked Desiree if she would want to take a vacation to see a big ball of string. She made a face and shook her head like I was crazy. Hahaha.

On Wednesday, I went with my mom and a few other ladies to see the BYU Dancers at the high school. It wasy way way way way awesome. They did dances from Native Americans as well as from various Central and South American countries. They didn't do Panama, and I was kind of bummed about that, simply because that would have rocked. But it was still really awesome to see what they did. They also did some of the islands like Tonga and Samoa. Really cool stuff.

Today I went to get my eyeballs inspected. Woohoo! I had all new eyeball tests. One tested peripheral vision and I had to press a button everytime I saw a blinking light anywhere in my vision. One took a picture of my eye and was basically a bright camera flash going off directly in front of one eye at a time. That was fun. And one (the glaucoma test) involved the dripping into my eyes yellow liquid. Which was gross, when I wiped away the extra yellow tears on a tissue. Just looked nasty wiping that away from my eyes. Although I will say that was a lot nicer than those annoying air puffs they do in some places. I was always anticipating the puff and trying to force myself not to blink. So anyway, I got good news on my eyes: they are healthy. They are going to try to get my records from the Wal-Mart in Alabama, so they can order the exact same kind of contacts for me, because the doctor is happy with how they fit on my eye. I have more of a football shaped eye (astigmatism) and he said mine is moderate to high... So it takes a special lens -- a toric curve -- to fit my eye. Anyway... I'm complicated, what can I say?

I've been reading a lot lately. At least I'll meet one of my goals this year ;). I completed my 5th book of the year. 25 more to go to meet my goal.

I was thinking about m&m's earlier. Now that they are in every packet you buy, it's funny to think blue m&m's didn't used to exist. I remember the year they came out, because my 1995-1996 Balboa High School yearbook had a few pages in the back with current events for that year, and the m&m's adding the blue member was in there. So was a picture of a rat or mouse with a human ear growing on its back. That picture has always grossed me out. It's a shame my mind can picture it so clearly. Ew. That was also the year of Dolly the cloned sheep.

Time is a funny thing, isn't it? I mean, I can remember a lot of details about my BHS days. I can remember that I didn't finish all of Great Expectations in 9th grade (and still haven't to this day and should probably rectify that), and that was probably the only thing I was ever assigned to read for an English class that I didn't finish. I can remember writing the ending of a short story entitled "The Lady or the Tiger" for that same English class and having my English teacher make a comment on my paper that I am "a writer!" That meant a great deal to me. I think it was at that moment I started to realize I could do this well, if I put my mind to it. I can remember the kid that got punched over a Starburst at my lunch table in 10th grade (Brad and I still laugh about this -- about the random stupidity of it). I can remember standing outside of the high school, waiting for the bus with Brad, and making sure we talked loudly about "Mom" or "Dad" so that others would know we were brother and sister and not boyfriend/girlfriend. Because that was like my worst nightmare ever that someone would think I was dating my brother. (Which wasn't nearly as bad as the customs guy in Atlanta asking if Brad and I were married in 1997... Um EW! He was my brother! I was 16! And what did that make Christina, who also shared our last name...? Our daughter?). I can remember the day we got our scores on the PSAT test and hearing people in the hallways point me out as the girl who scored higher on the test than either of the two "brains" who went on to be co-valedictorians in 1999. (I never took the "hard classes" until I was forced to in 11th grade because they decided I wasn't challenging myself...). These were the days before privacy acts and student IDs that were not your SSN. These were the days that everyone knew who the top scorers were and what their scores were. I can remember walking the halls of the 100s and seeing my picture hanging on the wall as one of the straight A students. But I don't remember actually taking the picture. I do remember that my friend John, whom I had this massive crush on, was also hanging on the wall. I remember sitting in Anatomy and Physiology class, taking the test on the bones unit. It was one of the hardest units of the year. I remember he told us beforehand that he would be grading on a curve because it was hard. And I remember there was a picture of a bone on one sheet that we had to identify. He had it turned on its side so it was sort of "camouflaged" in that it wasn't positioned the way it would be on a body. I remember I had recognized it and turned the whole paper around to orient it so the bone would be the way I was used to it and therefore help me to identify all the holes, etcs in it. (It was the axis bone, which is one of the top two on your spine and helps hold the skull up). I remember the teacher walked around from table to table and when he saw that I knew what the bone was and how I had oriented the paper, he said, "Ah! You figured it out!" I guess I was one of the few. I scored highest on that test in the class. It shocked me. I remember when I earned an A in that class for the 2nd quarter, that the teacher looked back at my first quarter B and said, "I don't know how you got a B the first quarter..." I remember attending high school stateside for one year. As it happened, I wound up in school with most of the rich kids in town. They dressed like they had jobs. I was used to the casual jeans and t-shirt look of Balboa HS. So I rebelled in my own way. I wore exactly what I had my whole high school career to that point. And flip flops. Which I had never done in Panama. My love of flip flops remains to this day. I remember Senior Skip Day in February 1999. I remember hearing about a kid in my class -- a kid who sat in front of me in Honors Calculus -- being shot to death by his own brother that morning. I remember calling my mom at work and crying. He had been a nice kid. And I was shocked. A little bit of my innocence was taken away. I remember marching out of the Dothan Civic Center on graduation day, where I had sat with the Honor Court on the stage, and hearing faintly over the other screaming and yelling of the crowd, my name being yelled by my older brother, my younger brother, Angie, Julie, Tatiana, Gregory, and Bonnie. I remember feeling relieved I had not tripped in my high heels in front of everyone, especially because I had to go up and down that stage 4 times instead of 2.

Yes, time is funny. In a nutshell, those are my four years of high school. Not all of the four years, it's true. I have a myriad of memories. But sometimes I still feel like that 16 year old girl, laying out in front of the Goethals Monument with my art class, sketching one of the massive trees growing nearby (on a day the a/c had gone out in the building). But it's been 14 years. I can hardly believe it myself. So much life has happened. And there is still so much to come. I finally understand what my parents always meant when they told me they didn't feel 40 or 50 or however old they were. I don't feel 30. And sometimes I'm amazed that I am.

By the way, this is a song title post :).

So, what brings on these memories that are "so high school"!? Well, it could be all the time I have to ponder life at the library. Or it could be the book I just finished reading that was centered around the events of a high school. Or it could be all the My So-Called Life I've been watching (or as Brad has been calling it for all 16 years: My So-Called Stupid... but what does he know?). Or maybe it's because I just wax nostalgic sometimes when I feel like writing and I just allow my fingers to do the talking and wander where they will...