A Post too Random to Name

How's that for a title?

I will get to my leave of absence in a minute... First, let me begin with a story... A story that explains why the Nilla Life is never as vanilla as one would think, given the name ;).

First let me say that photobucket let me back in and so now all these pictures, when clicked, will take you to my album (which I just added these to the one with my passport and solo-girlie night pics).

So, Monday morning, I'm getting ready to leave for work. Stefanie, who is definitely my opposite in this issue (I mean, who wakes up at 7 in the morning when it is unnecessary? -- Stefanie ;)) was already awake and had eaten breakfast. She walked past me in the hall and said something like, "Hey girl." I replied in kind and went into the kitchen to get my stuff while she went into her bedroom. Suddenly I hear her yelling, "Hila! Come here, quick! I don't know what to do!" Oh my gosh... I'm thinking it's going to be a roach. I get in there... There's a little baby mouse coming out of her closet. Coming out slowly, I might add. It doesn't look like a healthy mouse to me... It looks like it's dying. I mean, we're talking about baby baby mouse. She's like, "What do I do?" I, of course, have no idea. She goes, "Okay, you just go to work, I'll call the apartment people." Which is what she is doing when I leave for work. Of course, I got off work on Monday at 11:15. I get home and walk in the door. I'm met by Stefanie who stands there and looks at me with a sheepish smile on her face. Somehow I'm reminded of a little girl. I say, "What?" And she says, in a sheepish voice to match her sheepish smile, "Can we keep them?" Mind you, by this time I've all but forgotten about the mouse (which is why I forgot to mention it in my last blog post). I'm like, "Keep what?" I turn around and she points at a little shoe box with a washcloth draped over it and little eyedroppers inside. This is what I find:

And what am I supposed to say? No? So then I get the whole story... Apparently there was a nest under her dresser. I asked what the nest was made of, and she said insulation. I said, "I wonder how it got under the dresser?" And she said, "Yeah, I know... You'd think we'd have noticed a big ball of insulation walking down the hallway." I so totally laughed. Because it is, after all, what I was thinking. As she pulled more stuff out of her closet, she found two more baby mice. One, though, was already dead. Stefanie said, "It was in rigor mortis." So, she introduced me to Sandy and Eggo (think San Diego, since Stefanie loves that place). I asked her what maintenance said. She said he showed up with gloves and a bucket, because he thought she wanted them caught and killed. When he saw the little home she'd made for them, he was like, "Okay, I guess I'll go now." Hahaha... Oh, and it turns out they were coming in through a hole in the wall behind the stove. Which is funny, because Stefanie told me a few weeks back that she thought we had mice. I said, "mice? What makes you say that?" She said, "Because I got munchie at 2:00 one morning and came in here and flipped on the lights and saw something scurry across the kitchen under the stove. I figure it was either a mouse or a really weird frog that doesn't hop." And statements like that are exactly why I adore Stefanie. I laugh every time I think about it. Anyway, I went to Wal-Mart after being introduced to our new pets. By the time I came back from Wal-Mart, Sandy had died. I asked Stefanie, "You didn't throw him in the trash can, did you?" She said no. I'm thinking she threw him outside in the bushes. Turns out she flushed him. Burial at sea. Actually, that was the rigor mortis one she flushed. She left Sandy in the shoebox for the majority of the afternoon because "Eggo would snuggle up to Sandy." She admitted that it was morbid, but she didn't have the heart to separate them right away. Stefanie was a good mouse-mommy. She fed Eggo milk with an eye-dropper and that little piggy had a huge tummy. Sadly, Eggo didn't make it through yesterday. He died sometime after 5:00. So, these happenings make me think of some more stories to tell you... But as this post will be long enough (trust me), I will keep them in my mind for another day. Trust me, they are stories you won't want to miss.

Oh, also on Monday afternoon, I was putting away papers I'd written for school. Okay, I'm a bit neurotic. I've kept all of my major papers. So, I found one of the many spots I keep them... In this big manilla envelope. And I figured I should look through some old papers from my undergraduate degree. Let me tell you... I had one teacher that would slay us. She was great. I respected her, I learned a lot from her. She forced me to think outside the box (a feat at which I do not thrive). I got so far outside the box once that I wrote a paper about how a stool empowered one of the characters in a play. Go figure. She liked that paper too. I got an A-/B+ -- no easy thing. It was the last paper I ever wrote for her, and the topic came to me like a revelation while I was in the shower. Anyway, she would grade our papers in like 3 or 4 different colors of ink/highlighter/pencil. This paper was not one of the two that I got an A-/B+ (and no, I'm not sure why she graded like that). But just so I can give you all an example...

It's a beaut, huh? That one merited me a B-/C+. Ouch. I still got A's in all her classes, though. She just demanded a lot of us. She taught me what passive voice is. So, I just thought I'd share.

But, on to some fun news! So, Monday night, Stefanie and I decided, since she wasn't working, to do Family Home Evening at home! We ended up inviting Virginia to join us. Stefanie planned the lesson, and I was in charge of treats and the activity. The activity was watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Stefanie had never seen the whole thing, and she'd made the comment on day that all the Indiana Jones movies are based around religious stuff. Our treat was Coldstone ice cream, because I had a coupon to buy one, get one free. Ah, sweet indulgence. I got "all lovin' no oven." And I was so busy driving and taking pictures that I was the last one to finish! woohoo! And it was soooooooo good.

Gotta love Coldstone.

Oh, I do want to say that, in preparation for the fat-filled indulgence we knew we were going to consume, we ate a healthy dinner of salad:


And finally, my leave of absence. So, yesterday I had a dermatologist appointment to determine why my hair is falling out. It was everything I wanted to hear (well, except for the fact that I had to get another blood test so they can test my iron levels). My hair loss is not related to my hormone imbalance. He said the type of hair loss I am experiencing comes from other types of hormone issues or from stress. And, if my iron levels aren't up to par, my hair won't be able to grow back in correctly. Or also if my life doesn't become less stressful. Maybe I internalize all my stress. Who knows? I really don't. The point is, I took in pictures from when I had lovely hair and said, "I just want to know that my hair can be like this again." And he said, "I think it will be." He said it will take time. I swear, I think my life is one big exercise in patience. And we all know how good I am at that. Sigh. In fact, I find myself wanting to doubt his diagnosis because I'm still losing hair (as though his diagnosis would be the magical switch that would stop my hair from falling out). I'm soooo impatient. So, I need to figure out how to stop thinking about my hair (since that's obviously not helping me to de-stress). I need to figure out how to stop worrying about everything. I think a Panama vacation is just what I need. And also the end of schooling. How fortunate that I shall have both in about 2 months. Yee-haw!

Also, I have added a new category to my blog... It consists of my blogosphere buddies -- defined as people I blog-stalk that I have not formally met and who do not mind me putting their blog there. The first person I asked is my friend Kira's sister Anna. We've left comments on each other's blogs before, so I figured I'd ask her :). She was kind enough to say yes :).

*Julie has guessed the movie quote correctly!*

I [Am Now Debt] Free!

Well, almost... And it's only temporary :). But, I'm going to celebrate anyway!!! Oh, this is a song-title post, but just be warned... This video features the members of Queen dressed up like women. It's kinda scary.

So, do you know the exhilaration that comes when you log into your online banking and see this under the credit card account: Balance (8.87)!?! That means they owe me money! Actually, that probably won't be true once the finance charge comes through. I called to get the payoff amount, so I payed more than it was showing I owed. Hopefully that 8.87 will cover the finance charge like the guy said it would. The sad part is that it won't remain at zero for long, since it will cost a pretty penny to move across the U.S. But, I will be building up funds in the meantime to help cover those expenses, so hopefully I will not owe much once I make it to Washington. Anyway, I think it's an awesome thing... I am credit card debt-free! I met my goal!!! Yay!!! Now the only thing I have to pay off is the small amount of money I owe in student loans for my undergraduate degree!

I have to say, I have been blessed. I have seen that, as my goals have been righteous desires, the way has been paved that I might accomplish them. Because I worked at both Troy University (during my undergrad years) and now here, I have gotten huge huge huge tuition breaks! I know these were blessings. I just feel so completely overwhelmed at the hugeness of the blessings I have witnessed in my life. I would even classify some as miracles. I will honestly say that there is no rhyme or reason to how I could live very comfortably (having everything I need and most everything I want), travel as I have, go to school, and still manage to pay off my credit card debt on the salary I make. It was not logical for me to think I could do all I have done in the 1.5 years I've been here. I know this absolutely. And so I know that the fact that I have been able to accomplish this is evidence to me (even though I don't need evidence to know it), that Heavenly Father always keeps His end of the bargain. When we do as He has asked, He will bless us. There is no sacrifice too great, and He will compensate that sacrifice beyond our hugest imaginations. I know it is a true principle. I have seen it in my life. Anyway, I just thought I would share those feelings. Because I truly am amazed.

So, Stefanie and I went for a 30-minute walk yesterday. It would have been longer, but she had already scheduled for her Home Teacher to come by at 6. So, we just took a short one. I guess Stef and I are doomed to smelly walks. It doesn't seem to matter which part of the trail we walk, it's stinky. This time I think it was animal poop we kept smelling. From the kind of animal that eats a lot of insects, from the looks of the piles on the trail. Ew. Next time we walk by the river, though, I plan to take pictures. That walk we took on Saturday (by the river) reminds me a lot of Panama for some reason. However, next time we walk by the river, I don't plan to be a genius and recommend walking up to the water/sewage treatment plant. I think it horrified Stefanie when I told her that's what it was -- that they recycle the water. Poor Stefanie... I think by living with me, she has lost some of her sweet innocence.

So yesterday, Elka and I had a fun blog-comment conversation on her blog about blog-stalking. She's trying to decide whether or not to announce her stalking tendencies to those whom she stalks. Her reason for this is that one of the people she would regularly stalk went private, and I think she was highly offended! (Hahaha). Anyway, so someone else (other than she and I) finally chimed in on her blog, and so when I was reading that comment, I thought, "Hmm... who is this person?" So then I blog-stalked them. And she was talking about how she always leaves a comment when she is "blurking" so the blog-owner knows she was there. And there were 3 comments on hers, so I clicked to see the comments. One comment was her own and she was telling Elka that "Nilla sounds funny." (How hilarious to read about yourself on a stranger's blog). And then Elka replied, "She's a riot. And she loves stalkers!" I asked Elka why she couldn't be more specific and say I love blog-stalkers. Saying I love stalkers is kind of creepy. I'm so blaming her if I get mugged ;)! I'm starting to think I should make a category on my blog called "My blogosphere acquaintances." Then I can just add the blogs of people I have "met" through the blog world, but only if they say it's okay. Which would mean I'd have to admit it. So far I'd have like 2 (because those are the only two to whom I have confessed). Because if I add people I blog-stalk but that I know/have met (like Nicole), then I should put them under my friends/family blogs, because I actually know them. So, Nicole, if you're reading this, you'll have to let me know if it's cool that I add yours :). Oh, so though I'm not sure why I should expect my blog-stalkers to leave me comments when my blog-invitees don't, I will invite them to do so anyway ;). (And totally kidding about the blog-invitees. I'm not dissin' them (how's that for some 90's terminology?)).

And, as a side-note... Is the English language not so totally radically awesome and versatile? Okay, so I know it's a difficult language to learn for non-English speakers. We have some pretty wacky rules, it's true. But in the last 8 years (at some point in there), we have added new terms like "blurking" "blogosphere" and "blog" to our vocabulary! It will not be long before they show up in a dictionary. I think that is awesome. (In case you didn't know :)). Good grief -- am I really that old? 2000 was 8 years ago? What has happened?

I had more weird dreams last night. I dreamed several different ones. All very vivid. I wonder why I dream more sometimes than others... Or rather why I remember them better. In one, I was somewhere where some guy robbed a place. He might have shot someone, I don't remember. But when he left the building, he had set off a trap where bullets or something were going off everywhere. I saw several people get shot by those bullets. It was kind of gruesome. Probably the goriest dream I've ever had. I don't really think I'll describe it here, because it was very gory. And the really weird part is that I don't remember feeling scared in the dream. I do remember that I saw my reflection, though, and I was super-skinny. Obviously I was dreaming.

Well, I'm gearing up for a fun weekend, but it's also depressing to see the gas prices. Ugh. I'm working at the Temple tonight and then tomorrow I'm driving to Montgomery to meet up with my friend Tammy and just hang out. Woohoo! It'll be fun. And, as usual, the weekend will go by far faster than it ever should be allowed to do. So, I hope you guys have a great one!

*And Julie guessed the movie quote correctly!*

Blog-Stalkers Not-So-Anonymous

Okay, so yesterday I decided while reading a blog by one of the people I blog-stalk, to make myself known to her. She was writing about blog etiquette as well as whether or not blogging is helping to make us colder relationship-wise. Anyway, I like her blog a lot, and it's one of the blogs I frequently view of people who I do not know in "real life." (Because I guess this is not real life?? I don't know -- that just fits). Anyway, so I left her a comment confessing to my blog-stalking and also offering my opinions on the blogging stuff. I checked back later and saw that Elka had also confessed to blog-stalking this same girl. This girl's blog is on my other cousin's blog roll. Anyway, so in the comment, Elka asks me a question. And when I saw that, I almost busted out laughing thinking, "Okay, so now Elka and I are having a conversation on someone else's blog!" So then I start thinking maybe I should write on the blog and apologize to my other cousin (the one who actually knows this girl) and tell her that I'm sure she's hanging her head in embarassment that she's the one who has brought the whackos out of the woodwork that are blog-stalking this poor girl. Because both Elka and I admitted that we were related to Mrs S. Poor Mrs. S... We are such an embarassment! So then Elka called me at lunchtime yesterday, and since I could see it was her number, I answered by saying, "Hello stalker." To which she promptly busted out laughing. When I told her that I thought about writing that apology to Mrs S, she laughed and said, "Yeah, Mrs S is the normal one who hides the rest of us weirdos." Anyway, that was so funny to me. I so wish I had the clip -- oh man, you can find everything on youtube... Go here. And play it to about 7 minutes and 40 seconds into the clip to the end (sorry, embedding is turned off). Anyway, so just do that mental voice in your head when I say that this is the "Blog-stalker speaking." Okay, that's only funny in my mind I guess. But still, watch the clip. That has to be the BEST thing ever... Coincidentally, I have a copy of it on DVD (only I transferred it from Betamax, so it has tracking lines and is not as high quality as the one on youtube). But, if any of you want a copy of that one and the Christmas one, let me know. Brad and Christina and Ben: you guys are already getting one :).

I gave my 3 booktalks in class last night. It went really well. I have a busy day ahead of me... Work until 11:30, then go by the bank, pay the electric bill, then go to Friday Forum. Then run to the grocery store since WinnDixie is having some good sales! Then drive to B'ham while stopping along the way to pick up a birthday surprise! And then it's off to tons of fun at a girlie night with April and Courtney -- not to mention some indecent exposure (not by us, I assure you) tomorrow :). I have a jam-packed weekend! I swear, sometimes in my life it's like feast or famine! This weekend is full feast of friendship and fun! I think I like the letter "f." I think you will find that to be the case on Monday as well :). You know, SCN (the Southern Command Network, which was the only English channel we got in Panama until we got cable tv) used to have a thing on every Friday afternoon where they would film all these people on the military bases and such, and everyone would call out, "Have a nice weekend!" Unfortunately I can't find that on youtube. Makes me want to screen all of my family's betamax tapes to see if we somehow might have taped it once... Goodness knows we have a lot of them, and we have a lot of stuff on them! But regardless, you can just picture me saying, "HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!"

Oh, P.S... I have to add this little addendum... I was blog-stalking the girl I mentioned above again. And Mrs S had left a comment in which she claimed me as her cousin. Then she left another comment referring to what I wrote. And then she left this comment:

"Holy cow. I didn't realize my sister commented too... This is kind of embarassing..."

And I literally laughed... The kind of laugh that would have resulted in juice coming out of my nose if I'd have been drinking any. I'll say it again... Sorry Mrs. S for being such an embarassment! We really do love you!

If My Life Was a Soundtrack

So, here’s how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the "next" button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool!

Opening credits: Somewhere Over the Rainbow -- Iz
Waking Up: Have a Little Faith in Me -- John Hiatt
First Day At School: You're My Soul and Inspiration -- The Righteous Brothers
Falling In Love: Tonight, Tonight -- Smashing Pumpkins
Fight Song: The Mary Tyler Moore Theme
Breaking Up: The World I Know -- Collective Soul
Prom: Jessie's Girl -- Rick Springfield
Life’s OK: Take on Me -- A-ha!

Mental Breakdown: Everybody Hurts -- REM
Driving: U Can't Touch This -- MC Hammer (I can totally sing to this while driving ;))
Flashback: Sweet Caroline -- Neil Diamond
Getting Back Together: Don't Stop Believin' -- Journey
Wedding: I'm Henry VIII -- Herman's Hermits (okay, this is hilarious! -- I need 8 Henrys to start lining up and I'll marry you in quick succession)
Birth of Child: Hey Jude -- the Beattles
Final Battle: Better Man -- Pearl Jam
Death Scene: The Sound of Silence -- Simon and Garfunkel
Funeral Song: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds -- the Beattles
End Credits: Secret Garden -- Rick Springsteen

I Tag: Anyone who wants to do this!

Okay, I saw this while blog-stalking one day. And then a few days later, Elka emailed it to me. Hers was much funnier than mine. Except the Henry VIII thing. That's just hilarious. Hila and Henry -- awww. How sweet. Hila and Henry the 8th... Not so sweet anymore ;). Hahahaha...

Okay, so my life has not been exciting lately. I had class last night (we got to watch a 5 year old video on how computers are made at the Gateway plant). Then I went home and took a shower and enjoyed reading The Patient by Michael Palmer. That is book 5 of the medical horror genre! Woohoo! There is an end in sight! I think I have only about 3 or so weeks left of the semester! Time really does start to fly!

Oh, and please allow me to point out that I do believe the dinner-people are going to win!! Woohoo! Although, I have to agree with Elka when she said that, if we call them breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper (since some places call a snack supper), then we have a good excuse to eat more food. Because saying "Oh, I'm eating supper" sound a whole lot better than saying, "Oh, I'm eating my 3rd snack of the day..." Hahaha!!! Rationalization is a great thing :). So, everybody dish up and let's eat!

Man! I forgot to mention that both the Little E Family and Stacy have guessed the movie quote!

Blog-Stalking Idea #4

Two Names You Go By: Hila, Nilla
Things You Are Wearing Right Now: black tank top and an orange-long sleeve pull-over type thing over that
Two Things You Want (or have) in a Relationship: honesty, love
Two of Your Favorite Things to Do: laugh, be with the people I love
Two Things You Did Last Night: went to the library at 8:15 p.m. (after realizing my book was due) and wrote one of my book-talks
Two People You Talked to Last Night: April (phone), Stefanie
Two Things You're Doing Tomorrow: Friday Forum, work
Two Longest Car Rides: Dothan,AL to Citrus Springs, FL; Ashford, AL to Seymore AFB, NC
Two Favorite Holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving
Two Favorite Drinks: Water, Mountain Dew
Two Things About Me You May Not Have Known: I have a birthmark on the back of my neck and I won a trophy in Math Olympiads in 6th grade
Two Jobs I Have Had in My Life: Ashford Branch Librarian; children's room circulation clerk
Two Movies I Would Watch Over and Over: Excess Baggage and Napoleon Dynamite
Two of My Favorite Foods: too many to name
Two Places I'd Rather Be Right Now: in bed! or in WA with my nieces and nephews (and everyone else up there)

Okay, so now that I have done that... Can you tell I don't have much to say? That's because my life hasn't been all that interesting this week. I've been mostly working on school stuff. I did succeed in writing 1 of my 5 book talks last night, so I think that was good. I'm hoping it sounds okay. I read it to Stefanie. She said it sounded good. I also tweaked my resume! Woohoo! And thanks to Stefanie, I have resume paper on which to print it. Here's the thing: I have 2 boxes of resume paper of my own. 2. I looked in 3 boxes last night that I thought they might be in. 3. I was unsuccessful. Which is annoying. And since I want to get this application and everything in the mail tomorrow, I needed to be able to print the resume and cover letter today. So thank you Stefanie for being my life-saver on this issue!!! I still have to write the cover letter.

April and I have planned our next great adventure. We are doing another girlie night in honor of her upcoming birthday. What does April want more than anything for her birthday? Well, to be mooned by iron buns. Luckily for her, Birmingham can deliver! So, we're going to go get mooned by Vulcan. And yes, you can expect pictures ;). But not for a couple more weeks.

Well, aside from my dream that U-Haul charged me about $2000 to rent their largest truck (even though I told the lady I didn't want the largest truck, but she'd already rung it up and said she couldn't change it) and a trailer to move everything... I have nothing else to report ;).

Oh yeah, OOPS! In case you didn't see the comments yesterday, check this out:
NKOTB

I do believe we have some upcoming excitement for all of us women who were girls in the 80s and early 90s :). Woohoo! They'd better go to Seattle...

I'm a Princess Too!

So I was blog-stalking yesterday.... And I came across this test to see what kind of Disney Princess you are. You know I had to find out. And, if you ignore the hideously poor grammar (probably a good indication that I can't trust the results too terribly much ;)), it's actually quite cute to do.


According to the quiz, I'm Snow White. "Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path."

You can do it too, if you go here.

You know what I'm wondering about Snow White? After she was awakened from that long slumber, do you think she felt rested? Because I'll tell you, I don't usually have a slumber in which, when I awake, I feel rested. And I'll tell you something else... I sure could have used a Prince Charming to come kiss me awake this morning. Maybe then I wouldn't have turned OFF my alarm (as opposed to hitting snooze) and maybe then I wouldn't have woken up when the clock read 7:05... And you all know I'm supposed to be at work at 7:00. Yeah, so that was fun, as I'm sure you all can imagine.

Oh, while I'm discussing blog-stalking things... I was blog-stalking yesterday, and I came across this blog in which this woman's New Year's resolution for 2008 is to cook one thing in her crock pot every day of the year. I put the blog link over on the right under "Places I Visit on the Web" or whatever I titled it way back when I created this blog. The link is "crock pot recipes." Just in case you couldn't figure that out :). Anyway, I haven't perused the whole thing yet (I mean, give me some credit here... I do get some work done at work :)), but I do stress the word yet. Because what I saw looked yummy. And, Elka, she takes pictures of all the food. My type of chick. She knows what sells recipes :).

So, good news! I finished my paper last night! 21 pages with the bilbliography. Although, I've noticed a bit of an anomaly... When I work on my paper in Microsoft Word 2007, it seems like the margins aren't as big, so I can fit more onto a page (which means it would be 20 pages long). But when I work on it in Word 2003, it magically becomes 21 pages long. Strange... I went ahead and told my professor that. That way she knows. The bad news is that now I have to come up with some idea for a program by next week. I don't even know what this assignment is! Good thing April had saved the information previously, so she emailed it to me. I still haven't felt like I have the energy to deal with that yet, so maybe I'll look it over sometime this weekend. Also, I still have to make a transparency. I would love to recycle one of the ones from 5th grade (look, she even told us we could go to FedEx/Kinko's and have one made for us, so I am thinking this really wouldn't be a big deal), but she mentioned having text on the transparency. So, I'm thinking all my pictures of endangered animals just isn't going to cut it. Plus there's a good chance they are all done in portrait, not landscape. I wonder how much Fed/Ex Kinko's costs? Or maybe I should just try to figure it out on one of the copy machines here... But what if I buy a cheap transparency and it melts in the machine? I'm telling you, too many issues.

Before I forget: *Virginia has guessed the movie quote!*

And, since I don't have much wisdom to impart (and I usually don't :)), and I don't want to use up one of my memory lane stories (believe me, I have a list going)... I think I will post half of the thing Julie emailed to me yesterday. So you can know me. As though you don't already ;). Anyway, everything that has an XX by it is something I've done in my lifetime...

Gone on a blind date

Skipped school XX (as much as possible my Senior year of high school -- with my parents' approval :), and just a little bit in college life, when there's really a valid reason)

Watched someone die

Been to Canada

Been to Mexico

Been to Florida XX

Been on a plane XX

Been lost XX (yeah, you should just go read about my Washington, DC trip.)

Been on the opposite side of the country XX (Washington State from Alabama... I think that counts)

Gone to Washington , DC XX (again, you should just go read about my DC trip :))

Swam in the ocean XX (in fact, I've swam in both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans... and the Gulf of Mexico... Not a fan, though. Don't like salty water -- it makes my skin itch)

Cried yourself to sleep XX (I'm sure I've done this on many occasions.)

Played cops and robbers

Recently colored with crayons

Sang Karaoke XX (I know I did this in 4th grade at Cathleen's house. There's the possibility I've done it since then, but I'm not entirely sure)

Paid for a meal with coins only? X (I'm only putting one X, because I was in a group where we were on a scavenger hunt, and we had to buy something with pennies. And so it wasn't just me, and we didn't buy a whole meal... We bought an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen. Oh, and this was something embarassing to me, so I won't ever do something like that again...)

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? XX (Unfortunately, yes)

Made prank phone calls

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose

Caught a snowflake on your tongue

Danced in the rain XX (yep, and played in it and everything else you can do in rain...)

Written a letter to Santa Claus XX (I'm going to say yes, even though I can't pinpoint a specific time... I'm sure I did as a child)

Been kissed under the mistletoe XX (I actually bought and kept some mistletoe once, that way I could be kissed under it anytime I wanted, not just at Christmas :))

Watched the sunrise with someone you care about

Blown bubbles XX (Because I was a fun kid, and I'm a cool aunt now :))

Gone ice-skating XX (Yep, once, in Montgomery, AL... And I totally stink at it... I held on to the wall the entire time -- and I was about 20 years old)

Been skinny dipping outdoors

Gone to the movies XX (Not real recently, but yes, I've been to my share of movies)

And there you have it. Now you know a little more about me. Oh, and I'm overhearing more discussion about the possibility of snow this weekend. I'm telling you, I go through 27 years of no snow (well, except when I was 4, but like I remember that... it doesn't count!), and now I've been in it like 3 times and there is talk of more!

Blog-Stalking Idea #3

Yeah, so my life has been particularly vaNILLA lately. Just wake up, go to work, go to class of some sort, work on school stuff, go to sleep; wake up tomorrow and do more of the same! What a dull life! Haha!!! So I found a cool post (a tag post) from blog-stalking, and I'll use it. But first, I will fill you in on the highlights of anything interesting...

Hightlight #1 -- Brad called me yesterday. He is hilarious. He drives a lot for his job, and he's gotten in the habit of calling me whenever he's on the road. So he just called me yesterday to say he was on the road, so he had to call me, since he always does. And then he laughed. I'm telling you, he's a dork. Nah, I'm kidding. He's an awesome brother. I told him that his calling me when he's on the road has become "tradition." Highlight #2 -- I didn't get as much work done on my paper as I would like to have gotten done. I made some headway, but not nearly enough. I now have something like 9 pages, but two of them are the bibliography, and one of them is not full. Sigh. Highlight #3 -- Christina called before Institute and she and I had a good conversation. I love talking to Christina. Nick has a job interview on Thursday, so I'm really hoping and praying he gets the job! And I got to talk to my Desiree. She knows when Christina is talking to me, and I can hear in the background saying, "I want to talk to Aunt Hoda." I miss that baby! Oh, I just miss my whole family! Hightlight #4 -- Institute is AWESOME!!! If you want to sit in a class that makes you feel excited about fasting and fast offerings, come sit in Pres. Archibald's Institute class on Isaiah 58.

Okay, and before I forget: *Christina has guessed the movie quote correctly (and Christina, owning the movie is not cheating crazy ;). It just means you have that extra edge!).*

And: movie trivia (Julie, you can't guess, because you know the answer, since you heard it on your Sirius radio :)!) Question: In the movie Dirty Dancing, what was Jennifer Gray's character's real name? (If you'll recall, everyone called her "Baby" in the movie). I'll see if I get any guesses... But either way, I'll post them by the end of the night ;). Also bonus points if you know after whom her character was named (her "real" name). And Elka, it's not a first lady :).

Okay, and now for blog-stalking idea #3: ABC Tag

A- Attached or single: single

B- Best friend: J-bean

C- Cake or Pie: Both? Because it really depends on what kind :).

D- Day of Choice: Hmmm.... I'm a big fan of my Saturdays. But I like Fridays too. And Sundays... Yep, it's a weekend thing :).

E- Essential Item: Camera. How else am I going to preserve the memories?

F- Favorite Color: Dark green, like hunter green

G- Gummie Worms or Bears: Not a fan of the gummy stuff. But the bears, at least, are smaller.

H- Hometown: Cardenas, Panama, Panama (still the place I've lived the longest)

I- Indulgence{s}: Coldstone ice cream... Janet Evanovich books (these are my guilty pleasures :))

J- January or July: Right now, in Alabama, January... July is like a sweltering sauna, and in January, you stand the chance of having high temps in the 60s and 70s

K- Kids: one day...

L- Life is incomplete without: my family; the Gospel

M- Marriage Date: TBA

N- Number of siblings: 3 - one older brother, one younger brother, and one younger sister. Not to mention the in-laws!

O- Oranges or Apples: Only really like apples if they are applesauce or baked in a pie, etc. Or already cut up.... Haha. Like oranges a lot.

P- Phobias or Fears: never having the loving eternal marriage and the opportunity to have children I so desperately desire... also, i'm afraid of running out of oxygen, so you'll never find me in a space shuttle in space or in a submarine or scuba gear... (Not sure why flying in a regular plane doesn't bother me, but whatever :))

Q- Question to Ask God: What's the deal with all the little bumps that are on the BIG bump? (Oh, and I'm being figurative here... the bumps on road of life).

R- Reason to smile: I LOVE MY FAMILY!

S- Season: Fall and Spring, when they are acting like Fall and Spring. I like not needing to heat/cool my apartment.

T- Tag Three: Oh, whoever else needs a blog-stalking idea :)

V-Vegetarian or Oppressor of animal: I'm an omnivore. And that's not oppressive.

W- Worst habit: Probably complaining? I don't know what my worst is...

X- X-ray or Ultrasound: I've only ever had an x-ray, so we'll say that. Although I'm betting an ultrasound, if it's during a pregnancy, is a lot more exciting than an x-ray.

Y- Your favorite food: Look, in my family, you don't have favorites... All food (well, almost all of it) is created equal :). But not if you're licorice. That's gross.

Z- Zimbabwe or New Zealand: this is a zany question. There you go... There's my Z

Blog-Stalking Idea #2

Okay, my second blog-stalking idea is one of those tag posts. Since I do not know this person, I cannot consider myself tagged. However, I liked the little thing, so I thought I would use it. And if anyone else needs something to blog one day, you can consider yourself tagged by me... Even if you don't know me :).

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago...

1) Getting ready to dissect a cat when school started back after Christmas. This entailed a lot of things. Not just mental preparation. One of the major things was this: getting my tetanus shot updated. It was over a year expired and I was in no hurry to get the stupid thing (see the bottom of this list for an explanation). However, I had thought out in my head that, since I would be using a very sharp scalpel for 9 weeks while dissecting the cat, there was always the possibility of getting cut by the scalpel. And I had already heard about lock-jaw (which comes if you get rust in your bloodstream and haven't had your tetanus shot). And I decided 13 shots in the stomach to cure that (if you catch it on time) was much worse than one shot in the arm. So, in order to get ready to dissect a cat (and possibly slice myself open with a scalpel at some point), I got my tetanus shot... (I did not end up cutting myself, by the way).

2) Horseback riding. Yes, I used to ride horses. I wish I had thought to have one of those picture scanned in, but alas, I did not. Maybe I'll get around to it one day, and I'll refer back to this post when I do.

3) Living in a place where Christmas-time was no different from the rest of the year (weather-wise). In Panama, which is 9 degrees North of the equator, the temperature is always in the 80s and maybe sometimes into the 90s. And it's balmy and breezy. I do like the colder weather that fits the Christmas season (I mean, most pictures depict the snow, etc). However, I'm really not a fan of the whole 'scraping the ice off the windshield in the frigid morning' thing.

4) Being Ward Chorister at church. Yeah, so somehow at the age of 17, I was the one leading the music for the congregation during Sacrament Meeting. I actually enjoyed this a lot, even though I felt quite inadequate, given my age. But the organist was also my piano teacher and she and I worked well together. If one or the other of us messed up, we'd look at each other and smile. I loved Sister Vest!

5) Learning how to drive. Yes, I know I was 17. But in Panama, you couldn't get a driver's license until you were 18. And since we were moving to Alabama in a few short months, my dad figured it was time to start teaching both Brad and me. He took us individually to a secluded place he knew about through work. It was across the Bridge of the Americas (just thought I'd throw that in :) ). These are good memories... Time with just me and my dad.

5 things on my to-do list today...

1) Show up to work (late, but successful)

2) Finish up the dinner in the crock pot and deliver it to the sister in the Ward for whom I am doing the service thing.

3) Wash at least one load of clothes (probably 2)

4) Wrap my dad's last Christmas present

5) Clean the bathroom (this has to be my least favorite chore ever)

5 Snacks I enjoy...

1) kettle cooked Lay's chips

2) most types of cookies

3) ice cream

4) Munchies (those cheesy chip mixes with sun chips, doritos, pretzels, etc)

5) bread (like baked yeast rolls)

5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire...

1) Pay off all my debt

2) Pay off my family's debts

3) See all the places I've wanted to see

4) Buy a house

5) Food storage and donate to the Church

3 of my bad habits...

1) eavesdropping (and being nosy)

2) sometimes I go through stages when I bite my nails (not currently in that stage)

3) complaining

5 Places I have lived...

1) Cardenas, Panama, Panama

2) Dothan, AL

3) Ashford, AL

4) Tuscaloosa, AL

5) (and in less than 8 months, I can say WA)

5 Jobs I've had...

1) copy cataloger

2) periodicals librarian

3) Ashford Branch Librarian

4) children's room assistant

5) baby-sitter

5 things people probably don't know about me...

1) I don't like needles (please refer back to #1 on the list of things I was doing 10 years ago). This is why I was wont to let my shots expire. One time, I had to get blood drawn because of a persistent cough (I was 12). I wouldn't let the lab tech draw the blood. So they sent me (and my mom and my siblings) to the emergency room to have it done. And it took 2 male orderlies to hold me down and a third person to draw the blood. Yeah, I'm pretty sure my mother was horrified at the behavior of her supposedly mature 12-year-old... My poor mom. And then, when I got that tetanus shot 10 years ago (which means it's almost expired again, by the way) I made my mom go back with me so I could lean against her and look away. Keep in mind I was 17. How wimpy is that??? But seriously, here's another one of my brilliant philosophies: if I was meant to have needles driven into my skin, I would have been born with them already in there :).

2) I have what some people (JULIE) consider to be a freakish memory. I have the ability to pinpoint dates. I've started to lose the ability to get down to exact days, but I can ballpark it for you, at least to the month and year. This has been very convenient for some people in my life (JULIE) because I can usually get them close to a certain event... as long as I can use my life as a "time-ruler". For example, Julie wanted to know if I could remember when her mom lost her brand new cell phone. Well, given that I was living with her mom when it happened, I knew it had to be between June and October 2006. And given that Julie wasn't also living there at the time, I knew it had to be after August 10, 2006. So I think I did pretty good at narrowing it down for her :).

3) After falling in love with the movie Dirty Dancing (and renting it repeatedly from the public library) at the age of 16 or 17, I would dance in my living room (when no one else was home) and try to do the dances on the movie. It was then that I decided I wanted to learn how to dance ballroom-style. I still have not done this, by the way.

4) I hate camping. My dad used to take us camping as a family at this place on the Atlantic side of Panama called the Aquativity Center. We'd been going there for years, and then one time we went, there were signs posted saying to stay out of the water. My dad figured it was just for silly reasons, like that there was no lifeguard on duty. But since both my parents were lifeguards once upon a time (that's how they met), we still went swimming in the lake or whatever body of water it was. Well, one time, I got a leech on my foot (ewwwww). I was hysterical. There was something sucking my blood!!! And it was gross!!! Luckily, my parents are knowledgable and resourceful. My dad tried to get a match close enough to it to burn it off, but that didn't work. So my mom proceeded to pour an entire salt-shaker's worth of salt on it, which shriveled it up (have you ever done this to slugs?) and made it fall off. Yuck ew yuck. Anyway, I was convinced this was the reason that we weren't supposed to swim in the water anymore: leeches were present. However, the next time we went there, we found out the real reason when we saw a huge log floating out in the water and my dad looked at the log through binoculars and... turns out... not so much a log as it was a crocodile. Yep, that's right. Crocodiles were in the water. Yikes. I hate camping. (Oh, and how gross is it that they used to use leeches medically and on purpose -- and some places still do).

5) My dad says I'm bossy, but I don't believe him :).


Okay, well, that's probably long enough. I hope some of this gave you a laugh. I thought it was fun. Oh, and since I went and scanned some pictures, I will finally add the one I wanted to put on the Goonies post. About how me, Julie, Bonnie, and Tatiana all became Goonies characters. If you want to read that post to get your bearings and understand what I mean, click here.

But anyway, here we are, Mouth, One-Eyed Willy, Sloth, and Chunk, in all our mall photo booth glory :). And tell me we didn't have fun....

Post Ideas Through Blog-Stalking

Okay, I have gotten into the very bad habit of what has been termed 'blog-stalking'. This is when you click onto the blogs of people you don't even know and read about their lives. What can I say? I confess... I'm guilty. However, I know I'm not the only one. (Yes, this lame excuse holds no water.... "but so-and-so was doing it..."). I know that other people do this, because I know there's someone in Wisconsin who repeatedly visits my blog. And, for the record, I don't know anyone in Wisconsin. And I totally don't mind that someone I don't know likes to return to my blog. I hope it's entertaining. I think it's pretty neat. Although I've probably scared them away, now that I've mentioned them. Haha ;).

But anyway, through blog-stalking, I have found some good ideas for posts in case I come upon a day when nothing exciting is really happening. And today is one of those days. I will fill you in quickly on the goings-on of my life, but it's nothing earth-shattering. Okay, we had a Christmas Party for the libraries on campus yesterday. That was okay. Nothing too terribly exciting. Also, I watched Ratatouille last night while drinking hot chocolate. That is a very cute movie. So that was my exciting day. Like I said, nothing really blog-worthy. And you know how I love to write and torture you with novel-length posts.

Okay, so this is the first thing I got from blog-stalking. It is a list (and we all know how I adore lists). You can find the whole list here: List

I don't know who is responsible for the list, but I love lists. Anyway, the following are the books I've read from the list. Those in italics are books I own, but have not yet read, but I figure I own them, so I will read them one day ;).

19. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

86. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver

196. A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving

223. Beloved – Toni Morrison

252. The Lover – Marguerite Duras

293. The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco

301. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

451. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller

456. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

508. Lord of the Flies – William Golding

520. Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison

529. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

547. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell

552. Cry, the Beloved Country – Alan Paton

564. Animal Farm – George Orwell

592. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

608. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

609. Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston

622. Absalom, Absalom! – William Faulkner

671. The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner

699. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

723. Ulysses – James Joyce

780. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

789. The Turn of the Screw – Henry James

804. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

821. The Mayor of Casterbridge – Thomas Hardy

825. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

831. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson

839. Return of the Native – Thomas Hardy

867. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky

897. The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

902. Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë

911. The Pit and the Pendulum – Edgar Allan Poe

931. Frankenstein – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

992. Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes

Well, that's kind of sad. I guess I need to get in gear and read some more!!! Well, I guess I will put the other post idea I got from blog-stalking up tomorrow. Because this one turned out long enough :). But now you know what I have read off of someone's list of 1001 books to read before I die. I guess I can't die for a LONG LONG LONG time to come ;). Just kidding, I know that's not how it works :). Oh, and I do read a lot. Just not books on this list. Trust me, I have a very long list (very long) of books I've read since 2000. But it mostly consists of popular fiction, and therefore not many of them are going to be found on lists of "classics" or "classics-types."

And, just for a Christmas-y picture: