tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18505524502844642262024-03-05T14:09:58.839-08:00Mostly True Stories From a Real Live GrownupHannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-55044969595955798492011-10-10T18:00:00.000-07:002011-10-10T18:02:45.458-07:00Soon I will<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Clean my kitchen</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cook dinner</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Take my dog for a walk</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Apply for yet another job, in my neverending search</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Curl my hair</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Start wearing bras again</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Write a novel</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Write a better novel</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Take a sewing class</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Buy a sewing machine</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Eat Paleo for a month</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Start excercising</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Begin waking up at a reasonable hour</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Make meal plans and stick to them</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Buy a plane ticket to a foreign country</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Start wearing better shoes</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stop looking a Pinterest every five minutes</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Take pictures of my house and post them on the internet</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Buy pumpkins to put on my front porch</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Try making a slip cover for my couch</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Clean the dog poop off my back patio</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Make new friends</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Call my Mom</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Update my facebook</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wax my ladystache</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stop saying ladystache, cause gross</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Buy a new GPS to replace my poor stolen Daniel</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hang the pictures in the Study</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Stop pretentiously calling our extra room the Study</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nevermind, no I won’t</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That part is awesome the end.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-28334452843523090152011-08-26T10:35:00.000-07:002011-08-26T10:36:00.043-07:00The Honeymoon Chronicles: Trees of Mystery Edition.The drive up to Washington was relatively quiet after our great freeway adventure. We did manage to have a few adventures, though...Including driving along and suddenly passing a giant statue of Paul Bunyan. Let me repeat that for you: A. Giant. Statue. Paul. Bunyan. PAUL BUNYAN! Perhaps you knew that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trees_of_Mystery">this existed, </a>but we were not aware. We were just driving through Kalamath minding our bidness, when BAM! PAUL EFFING BUNYAN!
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_e2PvY2SGAXmHwwJuQ1KBhovN0QDQopSWmqSJxYTD9x6bk3Hipr_rRNc6bwRuncO_WHGUdWXp9SCrSre611f8xfDrsadrR50wZPW_a2TlyrzH1KLF0IRk_c_GqJ5lSzBfDH34RxS-dNa/s1600/DSC_3179.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_e2PvY2SGAXmHwwJuQ1KBhovN0QDQopSWmqSJxYTD9x6bk3Hipr_rRNc6bwRuncO_WHGUdWXp9SCrSre611f8xfDrsadrR50wZPW_a2TlyrzH1KLF0IRk_c_GqJ5lSzBfDH34RxS-dNa/s320/DSC_3179.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645209577666376722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Hmm? Just a couple of bros hangin.</span>
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYD2qjw1pGwfYq8IA2rh_DAH2bXoiTLfLilyoOaCPshCYjISB6N4XRV3JIAu-UnCuFLHheJUXUJDs4HHz7TUt85VbGxpSxa3bw4R8LRiivN1vlUPsL8uIoMyPWlHiVSY3r6uCQUzToiNP/s1600/DSC_3178.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYD2qjw1pGwfYq8IA2rh_DAH2bXoiTLfLilyoOaCPshCYjISB6N4XRV3JIAu-UnCuFLHheJUXUJDs4HHz7TUt85VbGxpSxa3bw4R8LRiivN1vlUPsL8uIoMyPWlHiVSY3r6uCQUzToiNP/s320/DSC_3178.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645210223841848802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Hmm? Just a couple of babes hangin...haha. Heh. Shut up.
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<br /></span></div>One of the best parts is that Paul Bunyan was full on animatronic. His hand would wave at you, and there was a guy doing the voice, so yeah, I've full on talked with Paul Bunyan. I talked to Babe the Blue Ox too, but he was less chatty.
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYMScm5XFsXmq6_0yTpZNGffVmV5kXmeU5f2mWLxegqN3lr1leUdcmI-twGIJaalSTD9GL4b7UL46uNhyphenhyphenjwS8jiIR4AJ0lhuG0qFcIMZshMD0dc66ZuHYdIw8hoVxubtHnjDNE7k6B3Qt/s1600/DSC_3169.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYMScm5XFsXmq6_0yTpZNGffVmV5kXmeU5f2mWLxegqN3lr1leUdcmI-twGIJaalSTD9GL4b7UL46uNhyphenhyphenjwS8jiIR4AJ0lhuG0qFcIMZshMD0dc66ZuHYdIw8hoVxubtHnjDNE7k6B3Qt/s320/DSC_3169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645212498883399458" border="0" /></a>Afterwords we drove through the Trees of Mystery and drove through the famous hollow tree. And look, if that isn't a little piece of honeymoon Americana, I don't know what is.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmSf7Gx9YDX6c6528l1SQ01J138aKmvrWZ7i5I-uEdlHdmKOzUirpldS3W05sp91nm3NXHmsdlb7tgrkXlVl4iGMFNqd8geDi7jvo5xCGmvwSmbh20FTx3HmH3i-FKL0fKOJAO9r4EXWN/s1600/DSC_3189.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmSf7Gx9YDX6c6528l1SQ01J138aKmvrWZ7i5I-uEdlHdmKOzUirpldS3W05sp91nm3NXHmsdlb7tgrkXlVl4iGMFNqd8geDi7jvo5xCGmvwSmbh20FTx3HmH3i-FKL0fKOJAO9r4EXWN/s320/DSC_3189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645213282375973970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">If you were wondering, yes. It was very difficult fitting the Clampett Mobile through the tree. But we did it!</span>
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVE03bBPdHZ0QEA-kaB77SrkGRp44IaMN3DRlhenIy5xW3miFk7sXp0ONgb1Ie1NZeTpGFrHGyywgXGpnU4Y1MgufW55KVdG5NROA-4LIsikdKDBWlTI1xUM-ymVFLGc86O1hkBMMwBUU/s1600/DSC_3190.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVE03bBPdHZ0QEA-kaB77SrkGRp44IaMN3DRlhenIy5xW3miFk7sXp0ONgb1Ie1NZeTpGFrHGyywgXGpnU4Y1MgufW55KVdG5NROA-4LIsikdKDBWlTI1xUM-ymVFLGc86O1hkBMMwBUU/s320/DSC_3190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645214238308488178" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVJfDh1u7edQr7jDR5dLttXEapNW5A4I5FTUq48I-CHfeseywKQc5MqOWHBFdaF6h1me24opJn5BF6K1d7QruRz7hK3jbcgWbudDcaLN3C2cXstak28vi293anbevcnwMofmMwLF1YN0R/s1600/DSC_3191.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVJfDh1u7edQr7jDR5dLttXEapNW5A4I5FTUq48I-CHfeseywKQc5MqOWHBFdaF6h1me24opJn5BF6K1d7QruRz7hK3jbcgWbudDcaLN3C2cXstak28vi293anbevcnwMofmMwLF1YN0R/s320/DSC_3191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645214397020845698" border="0" /></a>
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPxRbL4nVfNF5ZvamBJvOvSXC_LpOHrG-JenWegEyaTF2Z9tyDeZa3G0uy79e-eVAl43J_pLTRh4MfF5NogUTDTHumJMXlzO-nU3lb5fO4xKWS_2IMbPQ9jeYYbP5gmDayqy4JmwmerC5/s1600/DSC_3194.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPxRbL4nVfNF5ZvamBJvOvSXC_LpOHrG-JenWegEyaTF2Z9tyDeZa3G0uy79e-eVAl43J_pLTRh4MfF5NogUTDTHumJMXlzO-nU3lb5fO4xKWS_2IMbPQ9jeYYbP5gmDayqy4JmwmerC5/s320/DSC_3194.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645214595314218130" border="0" /></a>Stay tuned next time when we steal from the National Steinbeck Center!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-52679229608493282132011-08-23T12:02:00.000-07:002011-08-23T12:39:40.864-07:00I Command You to Read This/(these) Book(s)Internet, I would like to discuss a book. Specifically this book: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Okay-Now-Gary-D-Schmidt/dp/0547152604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314128225&sr=8-1">Okay for Now</a>" by Gary Schmidt. But here's the tricky part, I want to discuss the end of the book, and I have a strict no spoiler policy, so I don't feel like we can discuss it right now, because I would like you to go read it first. But here is the other tricky part: I feel like before you can read the book, you have to go read this book: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wednesday-Wars-Gary-D-Schmidt/dp/054723760X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1">The Wednesday Wars</a>", which is the companion book to "Okay for Now", and while they can each be read as stand alones, and there aren't major spoilers, I also have strong feelings about books being read chronologically. Like, sometimes I have people tell me that I don't have to read a series in a particular order (mystery series for example), and I have to do my best not to give a withering glare, because YESTHEYDOHAVETOBEREADINORDER, but that's a little rude, and also apparently you aren't supposed to impose your values on other people even if you are right and they are wrong amen. Here is the third tricky part, I am not even supposed to be writing this post at all, because I promised Nano that the next post I wrote would include pictures of my apartment! You can see that I'm kind of in a pickle.
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<br />So here is my proposed solution: I will give you all two weeks to read the two books I want you to read. (They are both fairly quick reads, I promise!) And then we'll all meet back here, say September 6th? And then we'll discuss the book, and I'll get spoilery in my post, but I'll also do the thing where you have to click a link to view the post so people who don't want to read it don't have to. Or maybe that's too demanding. Should we give it a whole month? Ok: so your assignment is to read the two books, and also comment and tell me if you want two weeks, or a month to do so.
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<br />Also, this isn't mandatory, unless you are <a href="http://www.dergrosseohrwurm.blogspot.com/">Lauren</a>, <a href="http://lizaciousness.blogspot.com/">Liz</a>, <a href="http://dididigress.blogspot.com/">Liz</a>, <a href="http://elizabethloyle.blogspot.com/">Liz</a>, <a href="http://schozbot.blogspot.com/">Amanda</a>, <a href="http://starshipempressprise.blogspot.com/">Emily</a>, <a href="http://themapmakerandhiswife.blogspot.com/">Julie</a>, or actually, anyone related to me at all. And also, just because I didn't list your name doesn't mean it's not mandatory for you too, it's just that I started running out of steam, and not everyone has a blog anymore, TIFFANY. So just assume if you are reading this, you have to do what I tell you. I mean, you are invited to the book discussion. It's also mandatory for <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/">Rachel</a>, but actually she already read these books, and in fact I read them because of her. Maybe you did too! That would make this a lot easier. You can read her reviews <a href="http://likeordontlike.blogspot.com/2011/05/wednesday-wars.html">here</a> and <a href="http://likeordontlike.blogspot.com/2011/08/okay-for-now.html">here</a>, because she does a lovely job of showing why the books are wonderful without telling the whole story.
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<br />Also, I will post pictures of my apartment tomorrow Nano, I promise!
<br />Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-13097547784426620692011-08-04T16:08:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:04:18.754-07:00The Cake Before TimeIn my many many internet forays during wedding planning, I came across a picture of felt dinosaur cake toppers. There are a lot of things about that sentence that make me really excited even now. I'm going to write it again with emphasis on the best words:<br />"I came across a picture <span style="font-weight: bold;">felt</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">dinosaur <span style="font-size:180%;">cake</span></span></span> toppers."<br />As you can see, cake is the best part, but dinosaur and felt come right behind. My love of the amazing work of <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/">Rachel Knecht</a>, <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/2010/09/fajitas-not-so-traditional.html">felter</a> <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-was-going-to-tell-you-so-many-things.html">extrotinaire</a> is well <a href="http://livingpalindrome.blogspot.com/2009/12/sweatin-to-oldies-christmas-style.html">documented</a>. I love nothing better than commissioning felt creations to my own personal Da Vinci. This time she truly outdid herself.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6y6-WZWl5Cj_WT6-m_T14yPZte7LvLT4s8O3799SHnOZmlKc7m9vhhnx58Xn7dmnaXcQ5uLKINzAGpq7zGHG58Z5Pa96YAJbXHxTk57zx8PZ9u6_FYAzBCW4JUmOIIBc42ReC1WrSTeR/s1600/DSC_0001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6y6-WZWl5Cj_WT6-m_T14yPZte7LvLT4s8O3799SHnOZmlKc7m9vhhnx58Xn7dmnaXcQ5uLKINzAGpq7zGHG58Z5Pa96YAJbXHxTk57zx8PZ9u6_FYAzBCW4JUmOIIBc42ReC1WrSTeR/s320/DSC_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637145310920088898" border="0" /></a>COULD YOU JUST DIE??? They are--and I say this without bias--the greatest cake toppers that ever existed in this land or any other land ever.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd28Fazajg4SpTMcyhLrKS6ueGx0Ce2z1263NN2KHPnYUYDF1KjMxFcpn6K8FW830uHb6Oi9LIfkw4wctljGuw9nQBQ7PRbZy6l7zE18UdvJ9zueQ7ymXr7Mxp8c2t6BpiQlIwWpuY7Ilg/s1600/DSC_0010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd28Fazajg4SpTMcyhLrKS6ueGx0Ce2z1263NN2KHPnYUYDF1KjMxFcpn6K8FW830uHb6Oi9LIfkw4wctljGuw9nQBQ7PRbZy6l7zE18UdvJ9zueQ7ymXr7Mxp8c2t6BpiQlIwWpuY7Ilg/s320/DSC_0010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637145943111009378" border="0" /></a><br />Notice the bow tie. Super fans will recognize this as the fabric that lines my Spock computer case.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplRD1YWdx1mG1o9QSWVpeizLi9Ut9prfMYu7b2yeKoJdUqI-Z1D4YinS1gtVRRwP97ndhyphenhyphenn78fA-kycalZVBbUQEWwiTgW0GESOaYaJKL9AC0hql0Up4Pfw-B_R3q39fGmm-hppNBb29R/s1600/DSC_0009.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplRD1YWdx1mG1o9QSWVpeizLi9Ut9prfMYu7b2yeKoJdUqI-Z1D4YinS1gtVRRwP97ndhyphenhyphenn78fA-kycalZVBbUQEWwiTgW0GESOaYaJKL9AC0hql0Up4Pfw-B_R3q39fGmm-hppNBb29R/s320/DSC_0009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637145663404451410" border="0" /></a>Check out the veil. And the necklace! She made dinosaur me a pearl necklace. Oh Rachel. You get me. You really get me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfPHon_kzFA8YS3iEYxxvZ-I-jyP72V24JSF7KHQxA4t70NiSmk6FpFa6Yfp4clNhsYORBJIKLA6Bpmg8baihHJmjVH-rXtx8ja7d84GYEOPU_w049ZfEk6fmKB_it5G7zzSpIBeCzH0x/s1600/DSC_5447.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfPHon_kzFA8YS3iEYxxvZ-I-jyP72V24JSF7KHQxA4t70NiSmk6FpFa6Yfp4clNhsYORBJIKLA6Bpmg8baihHJmjVH-rXtx8ja7d84GYEOPU_w049ZfEk6fmKB_it5G7zzSpIBeCzH0x/s320/DSC_5447.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637145767124464610" border="0" /></a>And the glasses. She even added felt square frame glasses. PERFECTION.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrWfvXkbSu2b-F3aUm3i-cFq1B5RgrQL8SL5cIfbEdLOmjiqQD_zWFkQcWyRl3drNuLqrqHKY3w4dQUbLxUjtxZUb45PU8_YacJT3-B7BNuJkTkLHOJ851dAXmTBmCwOKii1wAmPLS3Gu/s1600/DSC_5458.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrWfvXkbSu2b-F3aUm3i-cFq1B5RgrQL8SL5cIfbEdLOmjiqQD_zWFkQcWyRl3drNuLqrqHKY3w4dQUbLxUjtxZUb45PU8_YacJT3-B7BNuJkTkLHOJ851dAXmTBmCwOKii1wAmPLS3Gu/s320/DSC_5458.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637146299633796626" border="0" /></a><br />Elliot, our above averagely cute ring bearer and fellow dinosaur enthusiast was duly impressed.<br />Elliot: There's dinosaurs on that cake!<br />Me (proudly): Yup.<br />Elliot: It's a stegosaurus and a long neck!<br />Me: Well, yeah. Close enough.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPdK08TLC7UsTKLK-yONRPbdNUUSRWhIbnB4MvscR9lQRpMEcqoPVbM291XKSUlJ48x-44U9p3f4evrG6lFx94Zx63Ile1GfpjyTYKdnNRRi959c7kxLxSfgiU5P77EiPA-7erHKWeIAB/s1600/DSC_5456.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPdK08TLC7UsTKLK-yONRPbdNUUSRWhIbnB4MvscR9lQRpMEcqoPVbM291XKSUlJ48x-44U9p3f4evrG6lFx94Zx63Ile1GfpjyTYKdnNRRi959c7kxLxSfgiU5P77EiPA-7erHKWeIAB/s320/DSC_5456.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637146108888892770" border="0" /></a><br />Elliot (pointing): That's you?<br />Me: Yup.<br />Elliot: And that's Alex?<br />Me: Uh huh!<br />Elliot: *thinks* Hey! I think it's time to eat this cake!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79e_RHqcT5wZOgpXQ3D4myOZgCzSLM7z1ZfOi_BMD4XJ62m20bx6_EvOEg6ThsylOImuGObDGca_WHy5y9ou17Vop1LI1b1fOkha3aTarIoGqiV26qeks1JgJql3xreS0Jf5ap_1QdoIb/s1600/DSC_5452.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79e_RHqcT5wZOgpXQ3D4myOZgCzSLM7z1ZfOi_BMD4XJ62m20bx6_EvOEg6ThsylOImuGObDGca_WHy5y9ou17Vop1LI1b1fOkha3aTarIoGqiV26qeks1JgJql3xreS0Jf5ap_1QdoIb/s320/DSC_5452.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637146515111966978" border="0" /></a>Kid...this might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.<br /><br />Needless to say the dinosaurs were a huge hit. People kept telling us things like, "it's so great because your kids will be able to play with them!" And Alex and I would exchange glances and say: "Yes. Our <span style="font-style: italic;">kids</span>..."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HWOqFwhRcBwp8qEouZ8_qoOdrBwb5q9SH8cYIT8igGIxrIcZtbElZazr7Budj0Mbud0n-6D-uySL5krFfIh7AjqJY5XGSl-y864UW00I8KP0L40LmEOHD8XcAGXo7MZzsM9bn5Vfv9_W/s1600/DSC_0003.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HWOqFwhRcBwp8qEouZ8_qoOdrBwb5q9SH8cYIT8igGIxrIcZtbElZazr7Budj0Mbud0n-6D-uySL5krFfIh7AjqJY5XGSl-y864UW00I8KP0L40LmEOHD8XcAGXo7MZzsM9bn5Vfv9_W/s320/DSC_0003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637145500733480338" border="0" /></a>Thank you so much Rachel...I adore them and I adore you!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">*Pictures by our amazingly talented photographer, <a href="http://mjambriz.com/">Marcello Ambriz</a>.<br /></div></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-188743582506879252011-06-30T16:24:00.000-07:002011-07-11T14:37:15.638-07:00The Honeymoon ChroniclesOn my first day of being married, I woke up at the Sheraton in Pomona with my new husband. (We are high rollers you see.) We were supposed to finish loading the truck and head up to Santa Barbara that night. Alex wondered aloud if perhaps we should stay another night, to avoid feeling rushed. I told him we'd be fine, and we should just try and get on the road. Well ok, he said, but we're supposed to check out in twenty minutes. We decided to stay another day after all.<br /><br />On my second day of being married, we loaded up our honeymoon truck Clampett style, and headed off to Santa Barbara in the early evening. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDObnoXgspbfuZ3gOj1XbUx-cLqOh75ZmllRD951g_HeoFi4xlnvtLZu6flqiMSqxYXJ2534raPWlqNVHjNe2MR2sGl1RPW2zc_xipN_n0jUqgCiKOOKlg40HDWvZgcl7QJq96UiSnHR2/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-07-11+at+2.28.27+PM.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDObnoXgspbfuZ3gOj1XbUx-cLqOh75ZmllRD951g_HeoFi4xlnvtLZu6flqiMSqxYXJ2534raPWlqNVHjNe2MR2sGl1RPW2zc_xipN_n0jUqgCiKOOKlg40HDWvZgcl7QJq96UiSnHR2/s320/Screen+shot+2011-07-11+at+2.28.27+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628210054833873330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Honeymoon Truck as Decorated by Jordin and Casey.<br /><br /></span></div>We were driving happily on the 10 (a major freeway in California) and got to the place where it merges with the 5 (another major freeway), when I heard a loud thunk.<br /><br />Alex: "Oh [censored]!"<br />Hannah: "What did we lose?"<br />Alex: "Everything."<br />Hannah: "What do you mean 'everything'?"<br />Alex: "Absolutely everything."<br /><br />At this point he had pulled into the median and put the truck in park. By the time I was out of the cab he was already sprinting down the freeway. The wind had gotten under the tarp that covered the sum total of our lives, and ripped the wooden frame from the truck. The frame sat 300 feet behind us, while boxes were scattered all over the freeway. Alex was already pulling things out of the road, and I ran to join him. We cleared everything we could, everynow and then I would see one of my shoes, or one of Alex's books from boxes that had split open and couldn't be salvaged. When the road was mostly clear, the traffic that had stopped to avoid hitting us (never say Los Angeles drivers aren't considerate!) started again, and we stood for a moment listening to the crunch of pill bottles and cd cases we had left behind. We stood by the truck and I thought to myself: "Welp, this is it. I guess we live here now." At the very least we would have to stay one more night. I wondered who we should call in a situation like this...the police? The highway patrol? My mom? Could this be--after a lifetime of waiting--my chance at last to use a call box? No, I had a cell phone, I could just use that. Discouraged by this last thought, I turned to ask Alex what he thought we should do. He had dissapeared down the freeway, where he pulling the wooden frame towards me. What are we supposed to do with that? I wondered. Apparently what we were going to do was put it back on the truck. I was skeptical, but one has to humor one's spouse (chapter one of my book!) and so I helped him lift it. When it was on the truck once more, he pulled out a drill and turned to me, "Hannah, find me some wood." It was at this point I realized that I had married well. We then procceded to patch and reattach the frame. About halfway through I looked at Alex apologetically, "I'm sorry. But I have to stop and take some pictures."<br />He looked at me with understanding in his eyes. "I know you do babe. I know you do." And I did.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPYSG9fClGneIvFf6HSR9zvYlVtAf6-9zmmxQomNOaK3TMg4wwECkvZ4OeGpvQlx_Wp0BhlEicdRAytngy5zxYc2n2pCOnHWZtmDenkN7vhTzgl31AAxiWSUbjuMvbCcJfEdhR9zPiKUo/s1600/DSC_3139.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPYSG9fClGneIvFf6HSR9zvYlVtAf6-9zmmxQomNOaK3TMg4wwECkvZ4OeGpvQlx_Wp0BhlEicdRAytngy5zxYc2n2pCOnHWZtmDenkN7vhTzgl31AAxiWSUbjuMvbCcJfEdhR9zPiKUo/s320/DSC_3139.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628208903823761794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Between the 10 and the 5</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhq3XbzPhVwUheTvkMKKERLvZ8odTA_pw9cZFoRPCrpVeyViYzsOk4DvPjSuNqSNAanvXiEh6CNSjvgUKRWd8RctU7giqrVaHZ0v40f1qjWhvRS2jTsKH31WRtb7hqChO4aNRfL4jFI0w/s1600/DSC_3137.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhq3XbzPhVwUheTvkMKKERLvZ8odTA_pw9cZFoRPCrpVeyViYzsOk4DvPjSuNqSNAanvXiEh6CNSjvgUKRWd8RctU7giqrVaHZ0v40f1qjWhvRS2jTsKH31WRtb7hqChO4aNRfL4jFI0w/s320/DSC_3137.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628208777654256338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Basically MacGuyver.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRLGZ6bZzBOxuu07QLzn6EtiT66TCxavWk2bIMfBvvJjMAfwjol0yhYoR0t_9i2F3r89Ut2vYYur-jbbRoM_keypo3AeELz-tFIOf3caPiA9EaigOyORqzsEeUtF-TmEKh-OhAslzl2P4/s1600/DSC_3140.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRLGZ6bZzBOxuu07QLzn6EtiT66TCxavWk2bIMfBvvJjMAfwjol0yhYoR0t_9i2F3r89Ut2vYYur-jbbRoM_keypo3AeELz-tFIOf3caPiA9EaigOyORqzsEeUtF-TmEKh-OhAslzl2P4/s320/DSC_3140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628209204841885922" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Him: Ok, I need you to hammer the posts in while I hold them steady.<br />Me: TAKE A PICTURE!<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe-ifKeYuIlFxKVf8RgCaL2M-jvgus1Lelzs4VG6bkDMhiFnU-pyRzE-hwT5_GsQOAHoR7vZkLoam8vCviBKZur4FRJ1y7jbmsGFE-J7wbFovlaPGcRu46HKAwd3Jckc_iW7B4Ti1bfwm/s1600/DSC_3138.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe-ifKeYuIlFxKVf8RgCaL2M-jvgus1Lelzs4VG6bkDMhiFnU-pyRzE-hwT5_GsQOAHoR7vZkLoam8vCviBKZur4FRJ1y7jbmsGFE-J7wbFovlaPGcRu46HKAwd3Jckc_iW7B4Ti1bfwm/s320/DSC_3138.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628209051633727858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">About half of the stuff that fell, the other half was on the other side of the freeway.<br /></span></div><br />When all was said and done, we recovered almost everything. We lost a box of books, a box of toiletries, a microwave and a toaster. But what we lost in possessions, we more than made up for in a good story.<br /><br />Stay tuned next time when we meet Paul Bunyan!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-37771687242236247322011-04-19T13:33:00.000-07:002011-04-19T14:04:31.180-07:00FAQ About My Upcoming Wedding:<strong>When is the big day???</strong><br /><br />June 13th!!!<br /><br /><strong>Oh, isn't that a Monday?</strong><br /><br />Yes, yes it is.<br /><br /><strong>How come you're getting married then?</strong><br /><br />Alex is taking is med school boards on June 10th (a Friday),and then he starts his rotations on June 20th. Getting married the day after the boards seemed like a bad idea, and we wanted as much time as possible to honeymoon/move to Washington.<br /><br /><strong>Wait, you're moving to Washington???</strong><br /><br />Right??? Alex's school has a northwest track, and homeboy is on it...so Tacoma, Washington, here we come!<br /><br /><strong>So, boards, wedding, honeymoon, moving...all in one week. doesn't that seem...um...busy?</strong><br /><br />Yes, yes it does.<br /><br /><strong>Well, where is the wedding going to be?</strong><br /><br />In Claremont! At a place called: "The Bromansion". That's french for my bros live there.<br /><br /><strong>You're getting married in a house where five twentysomething guys live? Is that wise?</strong><br /><br />First of all, I don't care for the tone of that question, McJudgy. Secondly, I don't recall mentioning the five twentysomethings...are you psychic?<br /><br /><strong>No, I'm not a real person...you're the one writing this.</strong><br /><br />Agree to disagree.<br /><br /><strong>Let's just change the subject. What kind of food are you having?</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://http//kogibbq.com/">Taco truck.</a><br /><br /><strong>...Really?</strong><br /><br />Yes.<br /><br /><strong>What kind of cake are you having?</strong><br /><br />Funfetti.<br /><br /><strong>What are your colors?</strong><br /><br />I'm not having "colors" per se.<br /><br /><strong>Have you...have you ever been to a wedding?</strong><br /><br />I refuse to dignify that with a response.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="justify"></p>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-24071787181274527232011-02-08T17:41:00.000-08:002011-02-08T17:47:37.893-08:00Hipiversary!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Thirteen years ago today I had bilateral hip replacement surgery. Is that dramatic or what? You can imagine that it was something of a “to do” back in the day.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I had two great fears in approaching the operation. The first was the fact that after the surgery I would be confined to my bed for at least a week. Oh dear, this is still a bit delicate to discuss. Well, the thing is…oh fine. I’ll just say it. Bedpans. I was utterly horrified about the idea of using a bedpan. Several people had prepared me gently for this, nurses, doctors, a social worker or two. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, everyone was a professional, it would be no big deal, and it would simply have to be done at least for the first couple of days. Ha! I smiled and nodded politely when they discussed it with me, but privately I vowed I would never lower myself to that. My plan, as I recall, was simply to walk to the bathroom and use the toilet like an adult. I would be a marvel! Everyone would be stunned by my fortitude and resiliency! Really, all one needed was the proper motivation and one could accomplish anything. So yeah. That was my big plan. Just get up and walk! Problem solved. Oh Little Hannah. You are a treasure.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">My other deep fear was the fact that I would be naked during the surgery. No, I’m not kidding. Of course in real life I was modestly draped, really entirely covered except for the portion they were working on, but I hadn’t watched a lot of surgery shows at that point, so how was I supposed to know? In my mind I imagined my body splayed out on the table for all the world to see. And by world I mean…doctors. Male doctors! I was terribly embarrassed about the whole thing. As any self respecting self conscious fourteen year old should be.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">During the pre-op appointment, I sat with my doctor wearing nothing but a gown and a little robe thing. My doctor wanted to draw lines on my hips to mark wear the incisions would be, but before lifting my gown asked me if I was wearing underwear. Internally I was kicking myself for casting my undies aside prematurely, while outside I was trying to play it cool, all: “Who me? No I never wear underwear. What am I a nerd?” It was a little traumatic. Poor Little Hannah.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">In retrospect it is possible that I was nervous about the wrong things. I do remember a couple of times trying to drum up a little fear of oh, I don’t know, dying. But it never felt real. I definitely enjoyed the sense of drama it gave me, but I was never really scared of dying, or of pain, or of any of it really. My fear was basically limited to going to the bathroom, and people seeing my nuddy-self.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I like to give past Hannah a hard time. I blame her for a lot of my current problems. Like, if past-Hannah had dealt with her email, I wouldn’t have 48 unanswered emails in my inbox right now! And if past-Hannah had just applied herself a little, I could be a lawyer or a doctor or a trophy wife by now. And really past-Hannah…are <i>all </i>of those brownies necessary?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">But in this particular matter, I look back at past-Hannah with a little bit of awe. Because you see, what fourteen year old Hannah did, was something that twenty-seven year old Hannah would have a much harder time with. If I had to make that choice now, I would be pouring over outcomes and googling horror stories, convincing myself they were all about to happen to me. Man, what a gift that was. If I hadn’t done that surgery, I would most likely be in a wheelchair right now. It’s kind of stunning when I think back on things I could not do for before that surgery. I mean, things like walking around school, yes. But also truly basic things, like getting up off the floor by myself. Imagine having to ask someone to lift you every time you tried to stand. I don’t even think about it anymore. My life is so different than what it was, and what it could have been—and you will have to excuse me for getting a little schmaltzy for moment, but I am so, so grateful to the fourteen year old me who went through the hard part, so current me could reap the benefits. (And, you know. I guess the surgeons helped a little too.)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">So, happy hipiversary to me I guess! I always feel like I should throw a hula party or something to commemorate, but in the meantime, feel free to swivel your hips in general celebration.</p></span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-85766031762967233602011-02-02T11:07:00.000-08:002011-02-02T11:52:15.510-08:00Yes it's February Second, but Here's that End of Year Survey Anyway.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w8fKL1rqLP6GKUZ3E2cPnVq4J4GxJq7aDDZouTnjHy_cRfliQer0umBYYUmnqt9pV_tZVssGsFgTDcGFmVomMCsV4Zlve0wEmyTYpkgYAERzQrBDtloCc9NfkNT94MM4vJOmTgeiUDlw/s1600/photo-2.jpeg"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px; ">Oh I do love a good survey. That's not really true, but I keep doing this one anyway...I actually wrote this back at the end of December, but then promptly forgot about it. I'm posting it now anyway, because the Mormon in me appreciates the journalistic value...but please don't feel obligated to read it. Hearts!</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">I got a masters degree.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Last year I wrote a fear list. Twelve things I have always wanted to do, but have been too afraid to do. My goal was to do one a month till they were all crossed off, I did five of them. But I really enjoyed doing that, and I think I’ll probably do something similar this year.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">3. Did anyone close to you give birth?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Hooboy, was this ever a banner year for Haynie births! Megan, Diana, Maria and Sarah all had babies. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">4. Did anyone close to you die?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">No, halleluiah. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">5. What countries did you visit?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">I am officially hereby changing this question forever. It will now read: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">5. What trips did you take?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This was the year of fabulous beach vacations for me. In April I went to San Francisco, In May I went to Catalina, and in July I went to fabulous Oahu and Maui! On the non-beach front I also spent Thanksgiving in Delta, Utah (with a side trip to Provo to see the Bangerters), and I am currently in Idaho, where I wear a daily minimum of two pairs of pants, much to the amusement of my hosts. Ooh! And we spent the day in Wyoming. So. You know. Add that to the list. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Probably a new car…my beloved Betty stopped working in, oh, I don’t know…January? It’s probably time to get on that.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">The day I got my job.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style=" mso-bidi-mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Obvious. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqEgF6YbN8Ds8sZKVV-GPKxLMGJX6IKtnOoce96nOmwH4_ztG2qkfDKQShddc4BbZvYK5RQFqSWzLUzC2NexPUm2SkevJ60I_ZpvfFB0zhL6RtaF4Tum7mDxw7iYcMnxZ9bXIZoEuYbqq/s320/BlackmailUnicornblackoutline.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569172367733040722" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></p><div><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">9. What was your biggest failure?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Nanowrimo yet again. But I can’t even feel bad about it…I wrote thirty pages and I’m still working on it. Excitement!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">10. Did you suffer illness or injury?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Same old same old.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">11. What was the best thing you bought?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Mah Kindle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>L-U-V LOVE.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">12. Whose behavior merited celebration?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">My friends, who consistently give me opportunities to dress up<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">You know, I quite like myself, and generally enjoy being me. But whenever I see this question the things that pop into mind are my own mistakes, character flaws and missteps. I think I appall and depress myself more than anyone I can think of. But fortunately my strengths, talents, and artistic abilities help me see that there is change, there is balance, and there is forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">14. Where did most of your money go?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">For the last time I will have to say: Cal State LA!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">The gaga party, Club 33, the release of Mocking Jay, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIj1JotPTE43VjlXBs23eAVybXlQcn0dR5r5bBcJdlyAv83uuXaUCWvCRpSVPgeZs5SVXDDMPRTwM4zYoEVkRHBriv8CPZa4exo4UWGsxzSFMoC-SwstyhrrK_6vSrLRGqDNbd_m1DVlV/s320/photo.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569174803157702050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></p><div><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8-LrYD0nvunCYrX7J60-IptWk0e5vHPtUQr4BW0A6eeP9OUiIceNdO9uHPylmh7UZzq5gdQ5P3DCWa4h43Ns6QEHAQY9f4ts5_DNZ6IhQDNWiDPSyfMaPTgb1uQb-8KIqpm6qZSBDthK/s320/102_0881.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569177828612706562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpwltgif4oFNb1VAhh-I56NDCoWur1rpCGYvLF7Sq27X9x6Hv6o29nCR67fXIDi2yyIAgqQwmxV13J_6X54bJ1rldwiGcHHUn8UWqcMbYwr6WyxK4DrJ05Xa6fIBV4pYdj3sMByy7ygkb/s320/photo-1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569177831692979474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></span></b></p><div><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">16. What song will always remind you of 2010?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Is it too sad to put Bad Romance down? I mean I KNOW! Unoriginal. But seriously, I sang that song soooo much this year. It’s got to be Gaga. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">17. Compared to this time last year, are you:<br />a) happier or sadder?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Happier. <b><br />b) thinner or fatter?</b></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Deffo fatter.<b><br />c) richer or poorer?</b></span><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Eh, richer, but considering I had a salary of zero last year that is not saying much. </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">18. What do you wish you’d done more of?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Read books, read my scriptures, doing chores on time, laughing<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">19. What do you wish you’d done less of?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Reading blogs, being online, procrastinating, </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">20. How did you spend Christmas?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Christmas Eve I spent with my family eating dinner, cracking crackers, wearing paper crowns, and watching pugs play with each other in the living room. Christmas morning we opened presents with the fam, and then Alex and I jumped in the car and drove all the way to Idaho to spend the week with his family.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">21. Did you fall in love in 2010?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Why yes I did. </span><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKojcmUuHtNAdBNUpn9-B4ca6VYARUgIhmK8Sfy5ifaTio4vZb_AjUxD9X2NTU5CzYkeu7bSO8oxWKp3WK8eifHI0D3uy44-xmF1pNKN7LuUZhSurvDhC2qAg93mpupBzPjmqHvnVqVSs/s320/photo-3.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569180676689551826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></p><div><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">22. What was your favorite TV program?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">I guess 30 Rock and Community. No good dramas at the moment, que lastima.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">23. Do you hate anyone now that you</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> didn</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">’t hate this time last year?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Dumb question, I’m deleting it after this year.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">24. What was the best book you read?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Mocking Jay, Watership Down, Cold Mountain and The Help were all great reads.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">25. What was your greatest musical discovery?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">I honestly didn’t have one. I’m terrible at discovering music. Maybe I’ll make musical discovery a resolution for 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">26. What did you want and get?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">A job, a degree, a boyfriend and a trip to Hawaii. </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">27. What did you want and not get?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Honestly, I got so many things in this last year that to answer this question feels a little ungrateful and Veruca Saltesque. But you know, if we’re going with it…a car. </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">28. What was your favorite film of this year?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Toy Story 3, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Inception and True Grit. [Edit: I didn't see The King's Speech until after New Years]<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I went to a luau in Oahu, and I turned 27.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Is it crass if I just blatantly say more money? You know what? That doesn’t even matter. This year was incredibly satisfying. No additions needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Pencil skirts at work, skinny jeans for play.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">32. What kept you sane?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Friends. Forever and Always. Which I’m pretty sure is the title of Justin Bieber’s memoir, but there you go.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">I’m having a real Neal Patrick Harris phase<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">34. What political issue stirred you the most?</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I very consciously spent most of this year not getting stirred by political issues. I hid everyone in my facebook stream who often writes politically charged updates, and kind of stopped listening to or reading the news. I’m much less informed but also significantly more cheerful about politics in general. In the new year I’m going to start adding the news back in, but I think I’ll try to keep my political angst to a minimum. And I’ll just say, facebook is not the place for politics…oh no it is not.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">35. Who did you miss?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Bianca, who kept fleeing for rotations.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">36. Who was the best new person you met?</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">This Guy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w8fKL1rqLP6GKUZ3E2cPnVq4J4GxJq7aDDZouTnjHy_cRfliQer0umBYYUmnqt9pV_tZVssGsFgTDcGFmVomMCsV4Zlve0wEmyTYpkgYAERzQrBDtloCc9NfkNT94MM4vJOmTgeiUDlw/s1600/photo-2.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w8fKL1rqLP6GKUZ3E2cPnVq4J4GxJq7aDDZouTnjHy_cRfliQer0umBYYUmnqt9pV_tZVssGsFgTDcGFmVomMCsV4Zlve0wEmyTYpkgYAERzQrBDtloCc9NfkNT94MM4vJOmTgeiUDlw/s320/photo-2.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569181215315096402" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKojcmUuHtNAdBNUpn9-B4ca6VYARUgIhmK8Sfy5ifaTio4vZb_AjUxD9X2NTU5CzYkeu7bSO8oxWKp3WK8eifHI0D3uy44-xmF1pNKN7LuUZhSurvDhC2qAg93mpupBzPjmqHvnVqVSs/s1600/photo-3.jpeg"></a></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">Leaps of faith are hard…but you can end up some really good places when you make them./Sometimes I am sappy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:13.0pt;">38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">I might get rid of this question too. Mostly cause I can never answer it.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">Happy New Year! [One month late.]</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt; margin-left:0in;mso-para-margin-top:.01gd;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:19.2pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:boldfont-family:";font-size:13.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-39402358213111340952010-12-01T20:47:00.000-08:002010-12-02T02:01:35.395-08:00Guess who downloaded paint on her macbook?I was going to write a post about thanksgiving for you all...but instead I drew this picture of a unicorn. You're welcome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjcEY3RjEBUzaiLb3mSWFbK0qkJu0EbF_2HNLwVmFkqMbLUV4iDEHnxXDV-dKsrAI-xDkWTug6AbAiZOQcqN8z5i-2XwxKd9osuYenRI4-qjY0u-ukJdMcy26nfq6uBh10g2oB6cLgt9G/s1600/BlackmailUnicorn.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjcEY3RjEBUzaiLb3mSWFbK0qkJu0EbF_2HNLwVmFkqMbLUV4iDEHnxXDV-dKsrAI-xDkWTug6AbAiZOQcqN8z5i-2XwxKd9osuYenRI4-qjY0u-ukJdMcy26nfq6uBh10g2oB6cLgt9G/s320/BlackmailUnicorn.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546014468891503074" border="0" /></a>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-66004670568156653022010-11-05T10:26:00.000-07:002010-11-05T11:39:44.151-07:00Updates?I'm working on a project for work as well as a homework assignment that both need to be finished today. So now seemed like a really good time to write a blog post! I keep being incredibly busy and having lots of updates...but not telling you about them. So here is a quick list of things I've been doing in the last three months:<br /><ul><li>Started my job! I counsel students, plan events, present workshops, and go to conferences. It's very fancy. Also, I eat all the time. No, seriously, I don't think a week has gone by that there hasn't been some kind of food event. My first day there was a party at the Dean of Student's House. I was all, haha! Watch out or I'll get used to this! And turns out, now I AM used to it. I've stopped preparing lunches almost entirely. One of the events I helped plan (and emcee!) was a fashion show to highlight appropriate business wear. Here is a picture of me on the runway:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaPCcsMvIYiJZkYSC06iGi9IaP7sDLOEwwP9LDM-2dyBeb9b5Gb4c_UscbjMz2tetyrOH6-WkDPcR-6iJUJ86hvVtIEILkZI0XT7-nIazgnfx6vnu7RnGXii_6Fj1orQt9twcjHm0qbYo/s1600/Hannah.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaPCcsMvIYiJZkYSC06iGi9IaP7sDLOEwwP9LDM-2dyBeb9b5Gb4c_UscbjMz2tetyrOH6-WkDPcR-6iJUJ86hvVtIEILkZI0XT7-nIazgnfx6vnu7RnGXii_6Fj1orQt9twcjHm0qbYo/s320/Hannah.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536123629683126178" border="0" /></a></li><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Item number two: I went to Disneyland waaaay too much! How can that be possible? Answer: It can't. But seriously, I go all the time. I think I've been every week for the last six weeks. People keep visiting! First it was the Kennards, and we all went to Club 33 (This deserves a post all on it's own, but probably won't get one.):</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfkYiQxyKXzyQmmTeedRDfUr0eKQkYebeCc6XpCkaYqvJod4Xw9zXXI_-VUv2CagBKhRg_XVMuEwmjAzsbIg0vjK9pj5tqeIdd0EfomxFH7wipWvkQ1ZZOuamCLLQrukf5N3FzAdRK2lC/s1600/photo-26.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfkYiQxyKXzyQmmTeedRDfUr0eKQkYebeCc6XpCkaYqvJod4Xw9zXXI_-VUv2CagBKhRg_XVMuEwmjAzsbIg0vjK9pj5tqeIdd0EfomxFH7wipWvkQ1ZZOuamCLLQrukf5N3FzAdRK2lC/s320/photo-26.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536126732190083906" border="0" /></a></li></ul>Then Kristen came to visit, and this picture happened! (This trip also deserves it's own post but probably won't get one except that I'll say it here: While I had a ton of fun and witnessed the greatest imaginary light saber battle of all time, I am no longer cut out for Disney days longer than 8 hours.):<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUIrSn0-YWI84gD-GLErApPLBQWmlSVeiPBDLbtkQxKb2m8r8NX3Pic5kmyZBypbnPuBUHi_BTdGZ6ZMpZ3Hu_8ScIGP-vkWh_w1yEHI8UQbIUrK2_d8QaKQ7TAQks4kN5rQKlyLgRXR1/s1600/photo-27.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUIrSn0-YWI84gD-GLErApPLBQWmlSVeiPBDLbtkQxKb2m8r8NX3Pic5kmyZBypbnPuBUHi_BTdGZ6ZMpZ3Hu_8ScIGP-vkWh_w1yEHI8UQbIUrK2_d8QaKQ7TAQks4kN5rQKlyLgRXR1/s320/photo-27.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536128257173584274" border="0" /></a>Then Alex's sister came to visit, and we went to Disneyland again! But this time no one has posted pictures on facebook so I can't steal them. Which is a real shame because this trip involved fake mustaches. Everyone's loss.<br /><br />At some point I also met up with Jeff and Cole and Kelly, but they didn't even bother to take a picture with me, so I have nothing to show for it. Very sad. Basically I go to Disneyland a lot. Six year old me would have been ecstatic to hear this was in her future.<br /><ul><li>Halloween happened! I went as Carmen Sandiego...a costume I'm extremely proud of but didn't bother to get a single picture of. So instead please enjoy this picture of me from last Halloween (weird face but great costume...amirite?):<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmrxAEftYteh0Gx2c6nVsO_GBlWhkv3ZL8nwaen6UWfQsGlXtzkSWGUANJQMZnlgVaFf7BGyFP-yXPnKjoUgoqzZVOtu_W6IvYjH3ZnxxmmFPIMKZCjrPTEmoTnnuKiJNa3XI2F5Nr8iC/s1600/seventiesbatmanandrobinround.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmrxAEftYteh0Gx2c6nVsO_GBlWhkv3ZL8nwaen6UWfQsGlXtzkSWGUANJQMZnlgVaFf7BGyFP-yXPnKjoUgoqzZVOtu_W6IvYjH3ZnxxmmFPIMKZCjrPTEmoTnnuKiJNa3XI2F5Nr8iC/s320/seventiesbatmanandrobinround.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536134058834312370" border="0" /></a></li><li>I don't know...there is a lot more, but this post is getting long, and I really do have to do my homework. Oh! I'm taking one more class. It's on Fridays. Friday nights. It's very sad. But! Almost over. Eh, I'll try to write something else at some point, ever. So until then here is one more picture of me and Alex at Club 33:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7hqTIDb4D_ImGyAoCPnjS9MOnRTfJQ8S0mL6VZuxuNTvs8cmPsxhScL4lKtLjyQRovnUlwbVqvQy_jet5MLEqktKxIIIfHUhFVweAyOWEsRxacres6sEtuJwl05QB3lk4S5DvRBE-v7K/s1600/photo-28.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7hqTIDb4D_ImGyAoCPnjS9MOnRTfJQ8S0mL6VZuxuNTvs8cmPsxhScL4lKtLjyQRovnUlwbVqvQy_jet5MLEqktKxIIIfHUhFVweAyOWEsRxacres6sEtuJwl05QB3lk4S5DvRBE-v7K/s320/photo-28.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536137072819631458" border="0" /></a></li></ul>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-51959085357986462402010-08-03T22:44:00.000-07:002010-08-04T00:01:51.106-07:00Islands are Lucky and so am IOk, so I got back from two weeks in Hawaii a couple of days ago, and I have all kinds of stories to tell you about that! But not in this post. No, in this post we're going to talk about the time that I got a miracle. (In no less than 1200 words OMG I'M SORRY.)<br /><br />So I may or may not have mentioned (once or twice a minute all summer) that I was recently in graduate school. Since the very start of my program I knew I wanted to work on the college level. I did several things to make this happen, including adding a career counseling certificate to my course load, and diligently working to set up college internships. Initially I was planning on doing my first internship in the fall, but at the last minute, it fell through, and I instead ended up interning at a local middle school, the very middle school I once attended myself, and the very institution where I set my most impressive Oregon Trail score. (Trailblazer!) Next I planned an internship for the winter quarter, but again the placement fell through. Frustrated, I turned to my advisers, who assured me they would help me look for a place to do my final set of hours. I ended up working at a nearby high school, which ended up being probably my all time favorite work environment, so fantastic was the counseling team.<br /><br />During this quarter, I saw a couple of college counseling jobs openings. I optimistically set about applying for these positions. I asked one of my professors for a letter of recommendation, and she agreed. When I went to pick the letter up, she sat me down and said: "I'm going to give you the letters, because it's you, but I need you to know that you're not getting these jobs." I assured her that I knew these were long shots, but that I had to try, no harm in trying, haha, and there's always a chance! "No. There really isn't a chance. I just don't want you to get your hopes up...It's just that it's pretty much impossible to get a college job unless you have connections to that school." Ok. That was a little discouraging, but honestly, nothing I didn't already know. I once again told her I knew the realities, and knew that in all likelihood I would be working at a high school come fall. "Oh no, there are no high school jobs. You aren't going to get a counseling job next year." Well sure it's a little bleak right now, but there's always hope..."Not really." Oh. Ok. "I mean, you haven't even done a college internship." I stared at her for a moment, wondering if perhaps she had forgotten that she had promised to help set one up for me. When I reminded her of that fact, she nodded her head, but then kind of dismissed it as pointless anyway. The honest truth is, Debbie Downer though she may have been, she was trying to help me. Trying to help me not become depressed by a fruitless job search later. By helping me to become depressed <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> the fruitless job search. Mission. Accomplished.<br /><br />I was feeling very discouraged. I wondered what the point of the past two years had been if there was no job to show for it. And then a third internship fell through, and I began to wonder if she might be right, and I should just go apply at Walmart. I just might have, but truth be told I was feeling just the tiniest bit indignant with my professor, for telling me not to even have hope. Who was she to dictate what my future would be? Was she <span style="font-style: italic;">clairvoyant</span>? And I began to feel ever so slightly stubborn about the whole thing. One morning I got the idea to just call every college career center within a fifty mile radius, community, cal state, private, ANYONE, and just see if I could find an internship by sheer force of will.<br /><br />I called three. Two community colleges, and one small, rather prestigious college, which I contacted in a fit of "why not?!" and was turned down by all three. And by then I lost interest, because I don't actually like making phone calls and frankly it was a miracle that I made the ones that I did. I went back to feeling discouraged.<br /><br />And then a funny thing happened, The Small Prestigious School called me back. It was their office manager, telling me that while they didn't usually accept interns, they <span style="font-style: italic;">were</span> thinking about opening a position for a part time Career Counselor in the fall, and if I liked, I could send her my resume, and she would hold on to it.<br /><br />!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />That's how I felt. We stayed in contact, emailing back and forth over the months, keeping in touch about the status of the tenuous job posting. She emailed me the day the job was flown, and I applied that morning, which happened to be the morning I left for Catalina. We almost missed the ferry, but I was too scared that the job would be closed by the time I got back, and there was no internet on the island.<br /><br />A month passed. No word. About this time I was agonizing about whether or not to go to Hawaii, when there was the possibility of missing out on interviews, and also, who goes on tropical vacations when they're unemployed? (Spoiler, I DO!) But the generosity of my mother, and my spirit of adventure got the better of me, and I booked my tickets. And right after that I found out that interviews would be the week of my Hawaiian vacation. I probably should have cancelled, but the ticket was already booked! And I didn't even know if I was going to GET an interview! So I kept my trip as planned, and as the weeks went by, and still I heard nothing, I figured I probably wasn't going to get an interview.<br /><br />Irresponsible planning? Maybe. But God loves me, and went ahead and had them offer me an interview for the morning I was scheduled to leave. (I think that it is nice symmetry that I applied for the job the day I left for Catalina, and interviewed for the same job the day I left for Oahu. I should go to islands more often!)<br /><br />Hooboy, what an interview it was. The whole thing lasted an hour and a half, I met with two different panels and an HR rep, for a total of seven people. I felt really good about the interview, I had strong answers to their questions, felt good connections to the people I spoke with, it was a great experience. Still, it was no guarantee, and I honestly had no idea whether or not I would get that job. But I felt very peaceful about the whole thing. I knew that I had done my best, and that what was meant to be was meant to be.<br /><br />So I went to Hawaii! And I had a blast. And on the Thursday of my second week there, as I stood on a beach in Maui...I got. the. job.<br /><br /><br />!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />YOU GUYS I WAS HOLDING A SNORKEL!!! It was just one of the best moments ever. And look, maybe it was just a series of coincidences that led me to this job, but I don't think so. I believe that those internships fell through for a reason, and that I was inspired to make that phone call that day. Why of all the schools to call, did I call that one? A school I had had ZERO contact with. This job is a dream come true, and it truly feels like it was tailor made for me. I feel blessed, and I feel lucky, and I feel so, SO incredibly grateful. I start August 16, and I actually can't wait.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-81445593130534694712010-07-14T18:05:00.000-07:002010-07-14T18:05:30.463-07:00This one is for Nano. Hi Nano!<div style="text-align: center;">Hello internet, would you like some updates on my life? Because I really really want to tell you about my life, but I seem to have forgotten how to blog, so this will be disjointed at best and trail off Mary Kate style at worst. That only makes sense to me and Lauren because we spent all night watching <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2947518">this</a>. Anyway, here's what's been happening to me for the last few months in chronological order:</div><div><div><br /></div><div>FIRST: I was in graduate school, and I complained about it endlessly to anyone who would listen. I've almost certainly complained about it to you personally. In fact, I'm hard pressed to find even one positive mention of school on this blog at all! So good attitude all around. I remember about a month before I graduated I was thinking about all the work I still had ahead of me and I sighed and said longingly to no one in particular: "Ugh, I can't wait until school is over." My mom sighed in a similar fashion and said: "Yeah. Neither can we."</div><div><br /></div><div>I started feeling significantly better once my comprehensive exams were over, and all I had to do was finish my last two classes and my internship hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>SECOND: Speaking of internships! I loved mine. I started at a high school near my house in January, and I was really nervous, because of all the levels in K-12, I wanted to work in a high school the least. I much prefer middle school. Which I know, is an odd thing, since most people hate middle schoolers, but what can I say, it works for me. The good news is that high schoolers turned out to be kind of awesome, as did ALL the counselors I worked with. This was very encouraging to me, because as I may have mentioned once or twice, I didn't always love school, and was beginning to get concerned I had chosen the wrong profession. But working with students and the other counselors was an amazingly positive experience, and I can't wait to do it as my career. I hear they even pay you money sometimes? It's all very exciting.</div><div><br /></div><div>THIRD: I finished said internship about two weeks before my school quarter was over...which meant I was free to take a five day trip to Catalina! Here is a picture of me and Lauren on the boat.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLCrPMVLCcjqBBgxi7K3_Y61UPOJT2Vf9MkT4dAEL9d2ZWrngluM40xKQMHJ5NZv33sEmRI-fMNrut_Ao2PIBC9saOOf_InRNfXQy-JKZP2pxJrXySGfcv3WMcQLy3Mh8say-f9vuKUvM/s320/DSC_0640.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493913896499266930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></div><div>And here is a picture of Lauren and Rebecca.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAvH3lck5POQ9GBqPrazjpjbD2lhTVPfRzno8KOS9r80VTLcVbvGyHqefwFKQGavcVqCKRFa07uoi5nC2kl63OfWi2L8I3eMKgFk7yeNNY2-yLUhx-b1GSJ3kzhzvi8xwtqMdzgm0R10r/s1600/DSC_0632.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAvH3lck5POQ9GBqPrazjpjbD2lhTVPfRzno8KOS9r80VTLcVbvGyHqefwFKQGavcVqCKRFa07uoi5nC2kl63OfWi2L8I3eMKgFk7yeNNY2-yLUhx-b1GSJ3kzhzvi8xwtqMdzgm0R10r/s320/DSC_0632.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493914208998459378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></a></div><div>Annnnd that's it. Those are the only pictures I took on my fabulous Catalina vacation. Ok, fine. I took three more pictures, but they are individual shots of the three of us reading. In the house. Because we're just that cool. It was such an awesome vacation. We'd wake up, lazily wander one by one down to the beach, read for several hours. Lazily wander back to the house, make a sandwich, go back to the beach, read for a few more hours, go back home, read some more, eat some more, watch White Christmas. And that right there folks, is my ideal day.</div><div><br /></div><div>FOURTH: After Catalina, I came home to three papers and two finals, but I can't even muster the bitterness to complain about them a little. It did seem awfully hard to make myself sit down and write them, but not so much that I actually felt bad. The last day of class we had to attend we had a potluck with our whole cohort and our advisors. It was really cool to sit with everyone and think how we had all made it, all 19 of us. The next day I had one more paper and a take home final that I had to email in to my professor. I finished my graduate education sitting in a Coffebean, eating a chocolate croissant and chatting on facebook. It was kind of beautiful. I came home, and I'm pretty sure that was the day I found out I passed the comps, it might have been the day before though, it all kind of blends together. Sufficed to say, I was delighted. I texted everyone I ever met and told them it was over, I had PASSED! Woo! I'm excited even now!!! I collapsed on the couch at home, and had this exchange with Marianne:</div><div><br /></div><div>ME: I'm soooooo relieved! It's all finally over, nothing left to do!</div><div>MARI: That's so awesome. Now you can finally take that beach vacation you've been talking about!</div><div><br /></div><div>Heh.</div><div><br /></div><div>FIFTH: I GRADUATED!!!!! Walking in the processional with my friends felt amazing. I was so proud of all of us, all the work we did, and that we did it together. That elation ended pretty quickly when I realized we were in for a three hour ceremony with like, eight speakers and almost three thousand students. But it was ok, we passed the time playing MASH in my commencement program. When it was our turn to walk across the podium they didn't even say our names (why are my graduations always so ghetto?), they just put our hoods on us, and sent us on our way. It was ok though, I texted my family so they would know to look at the jumbo screen. Pictures!!!</div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; ">Processional</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGf3Ag1z45goPTyB_S1OsRzLcJSqEgYwO-JCTvO0DPppxwqGww7MHcG5Lp_nGjIGkXajqGW6pmi55U3GJivLTpMG1NMwJUNuKn83Hu-K1HkU3rkybF5xNQQxDacttaeQfuLjclOCRulsHK/s320/Walking.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493928478400373554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Master Hannah!</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSTdOjkSsmZafQyJhph07zYBBcNElPZGf4ijepCC55vxx4NbibC_17ALY0Dap18LqOzOXFenpH1A3Dox1Gka5dZF4NOGmbYwCMJGrM77tVr_aRZbL8fm23LMSbQZSIkiJ6ao4Hf0u8v6r/s320/Hooded.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493926653352394098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; ">Me and the Parents</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1t9praBWn4mN6vIvpRkQk4EDVnDf00_VOLWnlgv1TVedrpf-Ae2jwNYZwSWve61Vy6eUlJFVks7lHPB2n7Qm3KjkO5pKMmNOEuROavd6utLCRXMINzm-M8p5eW-jUfRcHbkzUF1XN7zM/s1600/DSC_0674.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1t9praBWn4mN6vIvpRkQk4EDVnDf00_VOLWnlgv1TVedrpf-Ae2jwNYZwSWve61Vy6eUlJFVks7lHPB2n7Qm3KjkO5pKMmNOEuROavd6utLCRXMINzm-M8p5eW-jUfRcHbkzUF1XN7zM/s320/DSC_0674.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493927244105387810" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; ">Me and Confucius</div></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEOxH9vV5JwrRevyR9k6nqPEp4XYoPHE1B0-6g-jRPpQMTtJLE27FtZ8vywBfhYjwxNMhVE8r1vC2pOBikrEqNPCgt8aHr1lD_XlykDYjelELlbTkTR6OCE7E5GdEvWZA7ik99JRyrSqC/s1600/DSC_0679.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEOxH9vV5JwrRevyR9k6nqPEp4XYoPHE1B0-6g-jRPpQMTtJLE27FtZ8vywBfhYjwxNMhVE8r1vC2pOBikrEqNPCgt8aHr1lD_XlykDYjelELlbTkTR6OCE7E5GdEvWZA7ik99JRyrSqC/s320/DSC_0679.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493927720599290642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Me and various family members.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1t9praBWn4mN6vIvpRkQk4EDVnDf00_VOLWnlgv1TVedrpf-Ae2jwNYZwSWve61Vy6eUlJFVks7lHPB2n7Qm3KjkO5pKMmNOEuROavd6utLCRXMINzm-M8p5eW-jUfRcHbkzUF1XN7zM/s1600/DSC_0674.JPG"></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYnQStqAJRHrI1N7oDGJQhWMenBOX0HWvT1NbGkPMyG_Z8ZOmlnF9bXaKmghdWXxbv2Kc5jFrSb4nHx5CVf7vEUsIDPFMcYAQDHLKbyaFdEdTgDp96DtUSNf5Bqa_uGdxuUxfxcp2r_E1/s320/DSC_0677.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493930140952014818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span">SIXTH/LAST: And that pretty much brings us to now. All I do with my days is read books and apply for jobs. Guess which one I prefer? I also keep going to the beach, and going to Disneyland, and hanging out with friends, and did I mention the books? That I keep reading? I MISSED READING! Because this is apparently my year for fabulous beach vacations, next Tuesday I leave for two weeks in Hawaii with a couple of my girlfriends from school...Ooooh I am loving this summer vacation! There are so many more things I feel like saying, but this post is already so long and boring, that I'll save them for future entries. Hey, it could happen!</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>PS: OMG I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU ABOUT MY KINDLE! Just wait. That post is coming tomorrow. Maybe.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-987435673414948642010-03-17T20:34:00.000-07:002010-03-17T20:53:06.496-07:00WorkahahahahaSo I think we can all agree that my weird phobia of email has been well documented. As has my unfortunate addiction to starting new email accounts. Well, it looks like the Electronic Mail Karma Fairy has finally decided to do something about it. I'm in the middle of finals this week, as of today I just have one little paper standing in my way. But last night I was in the full throes of so many assignments I thought my face was going to melt like the Nazis from Indiana Jones. At about 11:30 PM last night, I checked my old UCLA account needing for some reason some information I thought might be in an email there. At which point I finally received the many notifications that had been piling up in my inbox that my email address was about to be terminated. On March 17th. Today. And that's how I ended up spending a frantic thirty minutes trying to back up all of my old emails. Keep in mind that there were over 2000. IN THE INBOX!!! This may seem ironic from a girl who does everything she can to avoid email, but there among the stress inducing professor emails and bank notifications were many treasures that I was unwilling to give up. I stumbled upon one particular email that I had written to my cousin Crystal back in 2006 that struck me as wildly funny given my current situation. I give to you here, misspellings, grammar mistakes and all:<div><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:'Lucida Console';">Dear Crystal,<br /><br />After careful thought and deep reflection, or at least carefully thinking about the possibility of deep reflection, I have decided to become a workaholic. I thought it best I inform you of this personally as I find this to be extremely life affirming. Workaholism seems like the best and easiest way to pay off my student loans that doesn't involve knocking off a gas station or preying on a recently widowed count with lots and lots of family money. Aslo, from what I can assertain from mainstream media, workaholics = adorable suits. I assume this will eventually put me in a position for a corporate takeover of some kind from which I will gain access to skull and bones type organization where we'll all wear formal attire (also adorable)and bungee jump off buildings. Once I've established myself as a corporate head hunter and recieved my commemorative if ethnically stereotypical spear, I'll have a mid-life crisis and marry a recently widowed count who just has lots and lots of family. I get lonely. Oh you may have your doubts..."Are you sure?" you might be asking right now, with a measure of tenative concern in your voice. The answer dear cousin, yes. I am sure. I can see your face now, disbelief, worry,anxiety,<br />apprehension, alarm, unease, trepidation, concern, amusment, laughter,enjoyment, delight, glee, hilarity, distraction, annoyance, irritation,anger, rage, fury, vengance, boredom, hunger...somewhere among these adjectives there is probably at least one word that fits your face right now. Unless its a poker face. Is it? What do you have?Cowboys? Sailboats? POCKET ACES??? STOP WATCHING CELEBRITY POKER SHOWDOWN HANNAH! OKAY! AND ALSO STOP HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH YOURSELF MID EMAIL!!!! OK...ay. Hi Crystal. How are you? Was I saying something? Oh yes. I'm going to be a workaholic. Or a ninja.<br /><br />---Countess Hannah McBeal, dragonslayer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Console', serif;color:#660066;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">I love how back then I was thought I would be paying off my student loans. Wasn't I just the cutest? Also I feel it important to tell you that the original email was written in purple font. FOR WHAT REASON? I have no idea. Never in my life have I sent an email with anything but respectable black type. At least never in my life since I was fifteen. These are the things that keep me up at night. That and the workahol. </p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-21219754205143803662010-03-05T12:18:00.000-08:002010-03-05T13:28:48.452-08:00Dreams and Weddings and Buffy Oh My!There are many reasons why my sister Emily is great. When we were little kids, she used to like to help me with my homework. She liked "teaching me math". By which I mean: "Doing my homework." Which I also liked! But in the sake of fairness, she would make me do at least one or two problems on our chalkboard to show that I had learned.<br /><br />I remember when Emily came home from this random trip up to Washington and Canada back in 2004. She had met this boy...and friends? She had fallen hard. Basically from the moment she met Joey Versace, Emily knew this was the guy. Being a very altruisitic sort of girl, I helped her plan the seduction. The plan went like this:<br /><br />Step 1: Joey and Emily watch the complete Buffy the Vampire series together on DVD.<br />Step 2: While watching Buffy, Joey falls in love with Emily.<br />Step 3: Joey and Emily get married!<br /><br />Best. Plan. Ever. Amirite? Have you ever tried not falling in love while watching Joss Weadon? IMPOSSIBLE. No seriously, that was the plan, and jokes on you suckers! Because as of January 3rd of this year, Emily and Joey have officially begun work on step 3!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmq9FHtSYaEYJ3MlwiZoSI31L0ZrxlxpzarFoDMwOQ8iomOiKsJd11HmX9C_x6LdkmeU-JafUKz_Lh4EQNEwV3YjSfC3xB-z7GZxzNU5qNnxeqxHqMueFdbDShYE31mLFM6vmVUM4RVig/s1600-h/photo-1.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmq9FHtSYaEYJ3MlwiZoSI31L0ZrxlxpzarFoDMwOQ8iomOiKsJd11HmX9C_x6LdkmeU-JafUKz_Lh4EQNEwV3YjSfC3xB-z7GZxzNU5qNnxeqxHqMueFdbDShYE31mLFM6vmVUM4RVig/s320/photo-1.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445264583082574498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And here, my friends, is where you come in. Emily and Joey entered the<a href="http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/37069"> Crate and Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest</a>, and are competing for a chance to win $100,000 for their dream wedding. So go vote for them! All you have to do is click on this here little <a href="http://www.ultimateweddingcontest.com/entries/37069">link</a>, and click vote! Let's work together to get me the diamond bridesmaids dress I've always dreamed of!<br /><br />In all seriousness, these two are going to be happy no matter where, when or how they get married. But I know they would love to be able to have all their family and friends to be able to come and celebrate with them, and I can't think of another couple who deserve it more. These are two of the most generous awesome people I have ever met. Athough Joey has never even <span style="font-style: italic;">offered</span> to do my math homework.<br /><br />So go vote for them, and then come back here and tell me what your dream wedding would include. Mine involves Hugh Jackman parachuting in and leading the guests in an elaborate musical number, like on the Oscars, but more weddingy and with less Anne Hathaway. And then he marries me. What does yours look like?Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-69793547111659725852010-03-02T19:53:00.001-08:002010-03-02T20:23:15.973-08:00Question of the Day:If you were given the opportunity to go on a mission to colonize Mars, would you go? Keep in mind: It takes a long time to get to Mars. But not nearly as long as I thought! According to this <a href="http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q2811.html">site</a> you could hypothetically do a trip to Mars in just under three years. So let's pretend that's the timeline. Well I guess that wouldn't really be colonizing it. Well kind of? Ok, Question a) would you be willing to colonize Mars? And question b) if not colonize, would you be willing to go on a three year mission to Mars? What do you mean "Nerd"?<br /><br />Also, is there a condition under which you would say yes, but other wise no deal? For example: "I'd go if I could call home and talk to my family, but if not then I'd stay home." or "I'll go if Hugh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jackman</span> is there, but otherwise FORGET IT."<br /><br />And Finally, when you went home, do you think you would be allowed to take rocks and stuff as <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">souvenirs</span>? Or is it like a national park?<br /><br />No YOU spent to much time on NASA.gov today!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-40518071879992814852009-12-31T14:25:00.001-08:002009-12-31T14:25:56.064-08:00New Year, Last PostHappy New Year's Eve! In honor of the occasion, I thought I'd do the ol' New Year's wrap up survey I stole from All and Sundry last year. And you know what? You should to! Is all I'm saying. Without further ado:<br /><br /><br /><p style="font-weight: bold;">1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Completed a counseling internship, played charades all night with foreign med students, went retirement community hopping, sang live band karaoke.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I didn't make any, and so I didn't keep them. Or, from a more glass half full perspective, I kept them all!</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">3. Did anyone close to you give birth?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sarah did! But I think that she was the only one. 2009 was a slow year for the birthings apparently. Oh wait! No, Allison did too! Nevermind 2009, you were fine.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">4. Did anyone close to you die?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Yes.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">5. What countries did you visit?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Utah. Utah is like a country...yes?</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Money. </span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">None. I think I sort of blocked this year from my memory, the same way I blocked junior high. I remember what happened, but it all kind of runs together into one big laughy/weepy blur.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?</p> <p>Getting an A in my Applied Behavior Analysis class. That might sound a little braggy, but let me tell you, I have never worked harder in a class in my ENTIRE LIFE! I may or may not have put my grade on the refrigerator. </p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">9. What was your biggest failure?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Writing ye olde advent blog. See also: staying organized, doing homework, finding balance in my life.</span></p> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> <p style="font-weight: bold;">10. Did you suffer illness or injury?<br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Same old story.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">11. What was the best thing you bought? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">My Macbook, who I named Spock. Because he is from the future. We slow dance every night. Or, maybe my Disneyland pass. I made a lot of good use out of that bad boy this year. </span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">12. Whose behavior merited celebration?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lacie's, for moving to California and constantly letting me play with her babies!<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Should I go ahead and make the obligatory Tiger Woods reference here?</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">14. Where did most of your money go?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To Cal State friggin LA.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">There were many moments of excitement in 2009, but probably the only one that merits three reallys for me, would be finishing my last final of fall quarter. Three! Week! Vacation!!!!!!!! Oh! And Marianne and Anthony got engaged! That definitely held a level three really excitement factor, but after that the school thing. <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">16. What song will always remind you of 2009?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Probably Paparazzi by Lady Gaga. Jeff? I'm glaring at you.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">17. Compared to this time last year, are you:<br />a) happier or sadder? <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> sadder</span><br />b) thinner or fatter? <span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> the same</span><br />c) richer or poorer? <span style="font-weight: normal;">poorer</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is the only question I was tempted to lie on, because it's just kind of a bummer. But, honesty at all times, that's my motto! Say, did I mention that 2009 was a little rough around the edges? So yeah yeah yeah, sadder and poorer, here I am. But, optimistic for next year!</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">18. What do you wish you’d done more of? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sleeping. Exercising. Writing.<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">19. What do you wish you’d done less of? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Spending money on things I didn't need, and feeling sorry for myself.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">20. How did you spend Christmas?<br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Christmas Eve dinner at my parents house, with cameos provided by the lovely Bianca and Brittany, Kristen and John. Crackers were cracked, foot was ate, and after dinner we all gathered around the computer to watch Johnny Lingo on Youtube. Surprisingly racist! On Christmas day we opened presents, ate more food, and then saw avatar. Which Changed! Movies! Forever!</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">21. Did you fall in love in 2009? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">No.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">22. What was your favorite TV program?<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chuck, 30 Rock and Firefly. (I don't care if it was canceled, still awesome.)</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">23. Do you hate anyone now that you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">didn</span>’t hate this time last year?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I considered deleting this question, but I've decided to keep it in case I develop enemies during the course of 2010.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">24. What was the best book you read?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I think we can go ahead and classify this years reading choices under the "fluff" catagory of literature. Much like the year I graduated from my undergrad, reading books that were very profound or dense just wasn't in my skill set. So while I read many delightful stories, none of them were exactly East of Eden is what I'm saying. (Don't worry, still haven't returned that bad boy to the library.) So, with that long and needless disclaimer, my favorite books were probably "Hunger Games", by Suzanne Collins, and "The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance" by Elna Baker.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">25. What was your greatest musical discovery?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Glee! </span>Shut up.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">26. What did you want and get? <span style="font-weight: normal;">A macbook, a Flip (thank you mom and dad!), .</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">27. What did you want and not get? <span style="font-weight: normal;">A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">kindle</span>. A paid internship. George <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Clooney</span>.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">28. What was your favorite film of this year? <span style="font-weight: normal;">Probably Up, and Star Trek. </span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I had a joint birthday party with Emily again, this time luau themed, and I turned 26! It was super fun, and featured the gift of about thirty fake mustaches. Lauren, have I told you lately that I love you? <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> A sense of balance. Also money.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?<br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Laundry day.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">32. What kept you sane?<br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Without a shadow of a doubt, I can say it was my friends. One area that I always feel unfairly blessed in, is the quality of friends I have. I wish I could make each and everyone of you a friendship bracelet that could properly convey how glad I am to have you in my life.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? <span style="font-weight: normal;">Right now it's probably Nathan Fillion, because when I went to his fake book signing he shook my hand and winked at me sexily. Which is basically like a proposal when you think about it.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">34. What political issue stirred you the most? <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Health care blah blah broken record.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">35. Who did you miss? <span style="font-weight: normal;">My grandma.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">36. Who was the best new person you met? <span style="font-weight: normal;">Say it with me: NATHAN FILLION.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.</p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For the love of all that is good and holy, return your video rentals ON TIME . </span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;">38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">You can't always get what you want<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">No, you can't always get what you want.<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But if you try sometime,<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">you just might find,<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">you get what you need.<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And I'll get by with a little help from my friends.<br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></p>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-52453930684485295262009-12-22T09:56:00.001-08:002009-12-22T10:51:44.637-08:00Sweatin' to the Oldies: Christmas StyleI just want to start things off by saying: I'm sure your stocking is very nice. Really! I'm sure it's red and green and very Christmasy. And even if it's not I'm sure it's very nice! I just had to get that out there, because I didn't want you to feel jealous. You see....I have news. Like <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/very-schrute-christmas.html">Casey</a>, <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/12/david-hasselhoff-christmas.html">Camille</a> and <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/03/for-lizs-birthday-i-told-her-that-if.html">Liz</a> before me: I have a <a href="http://rachelsaysso.blogspot.com/2009/12/merry-christmas-from-me-and-richard.html">Rachel Knecht</a> ORIGINAL Felt Stocking Creation. BEHOLD:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjNWmjbv8ODkVauPAxHjAJAb8pxtypm8tY6WCc0VO6kX58jx1yOhvJ-iHPR61cQfSAnNP9mPvdhCMEbnCm6mDuJhZtnxGd4YBOZpYqrDkCL7vbhTZJ78Sp9ASdM0PzhzcYhf5jewQiO8R/s1600-h/DSC_0300.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjNWmjbv8ODkVauPAxHjAJAb8pxtypm8tY6WCc0VO6kX58jx1yOhvJ-iHPR61cQfSAnNP9mPvdhCMEbnCm6mDuJhZtnxGd4YBOZpYqrDkCL7vbhTZJ78Sp9ASdM0PzhzcYhf5jewQiO8R/s320/DSC_0300.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418128270887225746" border="0" /></a><br />Hmm? Why yes, that IS Richard Simmons on my stocking.<br />!!!!!<br />Let's take a closer look shall we?<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fgEsqVS-6coi8d4tF0AK63E-acjJf-WJdKUTLKpOpF6pPpIbfGqIBvNASqx7DTMfEdDpsgy-DWOhW0d1YS60DWB2b6HOLdR1Ihh02ZHdKpc9MvqFt6z5xsvKYo7b6auB7tQcVs_zVC39/s1600-h/DSC_0304.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fgEsqVS-6coi8d4tF0AK63E-acjJf-WJdKUTLKpOpF6pPpIbfGqIBvNASqx7DTMfEdDpsgy-DWOhW0d1YS60DWB2b6HOLdR1Ihh02ZHdKpc9MvqFt6z5xsvKYo7b6auB7tQcVs_zVC39/s320/DSC_0304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418130045188482594" border="0" /></a>When Rachel said she was making a Richard Simmons stocking and say, did anyone want it, I think I may have dislocated my shoulder getting my hand in the air. But the months of rehabilitation were more than worth it, because I can't even convey how amazing this stocking is. The gold thread! the inappropriately tiny shorts! The SHOELACES!!! It's just...a masterpiece.<br /><br />Thank you Rachel, I love it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fgEsqVS-6coi8d4tF0AK63E-acjJf-WJdKUTLKpOpF6pPpIbfGqIBvNASqx7DTMfEdDpsgy-DWOhW0d1YS60DWB2b6HOLdR1Ihh02ZHdKpc9MvqFt6z5xsvKYo7b6auB7tQcVs_zVC39/s1600-h/DSC_0304.JPG"><br /></a>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-50132486151781475792009-12-18T14:30:00.000-08:002009-12-18T19:09:38.165-08:00Advent Blog Fail: Day #18Are any of us surprised? I didn't think so. So, I was debating just giving up entirely, and then I was just going to start from where I was, and now I've decided to just kamikaze this thing and give you thirteen make up posts in the next hour. And then I got tired. So, lets do that other idea after all.<br /><br />Let's kick things off with a list of other holiday things I've started and not finished:<br /><br />1) Gingerbread houses:<br /><br />My mom came up with this really good idea for each of us to make and decorate a gingerbread house this year. We downloaded a bunch of patterns from the internet, and each made a different one. So far mine has been cut, baked, assembled, and half decorated. I haven't done anything else in a week and a half. But I have full intentions of completing every thing! Which probably makes this the longest gingerbread construction project in the history of ever. Or at least in the history of me. Also possibly the only gingerbread construction project in the history of me.<br /><br />2) Christmas shopping: I have a little less than half of my presents purchased and exactly NONE of them wrapped.<br /><br />3) Christmas cards: I got a little ambitious this year and decided to send out Christmas cards. Here is where I am in the process. I have purchased some. Here is what is hindering me at the moment. I...I don't have anyone's address. And also...what does one put in a Christmas card again? I think I'm bad at this.<br /><br />4) This list.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-52922718641608209072009-12-06T00:07:00.000-08:002009-12-06T00:18:13.498-08:00Advent Blog #5: White Elephant Teaser"Ward famous for their excellent white elephant gift exchange gift choices...Hannah and Lauren have really knocked it out of the park this year!"<br /><br />Unfortunately....we were so busy making the books, that we may or may not have missed the actual exchange. A teaser of this year's offerings:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6GkjLbNBSB8QmI1Vcv-6DSYju7Cfzv5qvPZsg9NoUTuBzJDvJXXbXDAarQOdp7JyGqEN_WN0C2gjzFv7sj6pyAUMtZmDJTqHEAG8yXeo2Txx4GqXRJFZFlQT_kg0hAVTScqsbt8qxz0O/s1600-h/DSC_0121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6GkjLbNBSB8QmI1Vcv-6DSYju7Cfzv5qvPZsg9NoUTuBzJDvJXXbXDAarQOdp7JyGqEN_WN0C2gjzFv7sj6pyAUMtZmDJTqHEAG8yXeo2Txx4GqXRJFZFlQT_kg0hAVTScqsbt8qxz0O/s320/DSC_0121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412033030513562626" border="0" /></a>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-46875927696254118582009-12-04T19:04:00.000-08:002009-12-04T23:46:52.188-08:00Advent Blog #4: Cop out post.Ok, so it's Friday night, and I'm so tired that I can't even think of a clever metaphor for how tired I am. But! Third day in a row! So here's a youtube clip from the greatest Christmas movie ever made.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7yQ2xqCE2E8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7yQ2xqCE2E8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This is not my favorite song in White Christmas. It might even be my least favorite...but that's like saying Merry is your least favorite hobbit...it means nothing. Because you love them all! This particular song in fact has some excellent features:<br /><br />1) Casually breaking into group song to cement a decision.<br />2) Use of table items to create a visual interpretation of the song.<br />3) Nonsensical lyrics, i.e.: washing your hair, hands and face in snow. Wha?<br />4) Vera Ellen's dress.<br /><br /><br />Peace friends!Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-60258931316540041832009-12-03T12:29:00.000-08:002009-12-03T13:47:42.441-08:00Advent Blog Day #3: A Materialistic Christmas StoryDo you remember back in the day, when the American Girl dolls first came out? Ah, those were the golden days. Back before Mattel bought out the Pleasant Company, and it turning into a frightening example of soul sucking consumerism. You know, back when it was just an example of soul <i>nibbling</i> consumerism. Quite a distinction. So there I was, at the ripe old age of seven, when what should appear in the mail, but an American Girl Catalogue. I remember being genuinely concerned that we were going to have to give the catalogue back. Surely something so wonderful couldn't actually be meant for <i>us</i>. It just seemed too good to be true.<div><br /></div><div>Emily and I spent hours pouring over the catalogue, carefully picking out which items we wanted most, and what order we would buy them in. You know, when we were grown ups and had lots of money. Within the first five minutes it was understood that Samantha was mine, and Molly was Emily's. Kirsten belonged to Emily's extremely cool and sophisticated friend Rebecca Pierson. She was in <i>GATE.</i> Marianne was four at the time, ans so had no say in the matter. She was also probably too busy walking up and down the hallway with a laundry basket on her head singing: "Father's hunting in the forest...till I'm grown..." which is pretty much how she spent the entirety of her preschool years.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, sufficed to say, we were obsessed. We even played American Girls (minus the dolls). Of course, since we didn't have the books yet, we were a little loose on the details -- the game itself usually involved a time machine and a bunk bed bomb shelter--but still. </div><div><br /></div><div>So when Christmastime rolled around that year, you can imagine my Mother's surprise when I didn't mention the doll in my letter to Santa that year. We were sitting at the old apple computer we used to have...you know, the kind with a black and yellow monitor...pre-internet, pre-everything really. So I'm dictating and Mom is typing away, and when I start wrapping things up: "my best to Mrs. Claus, etc...", Mom casually asked if I wasn't going to ask for Samantha. I gently patted her hand, and told her I thought that was probably too expensive for Santa. (Keep in mind these items that were already featured on my list: A puppy, a trip to Michigan, Snow. Yeah, those were fine, but <i>Samantha</i>? Let's try to be realistic.) Mom suggested I put it on the list anyway, just for fun...and since I've always been willing to humor my mother's fanciful little whims, I agreed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cut to early early Christmas morning...when all was dark, and everyone was still asleep. I knew we wouldn't be opening presents for hours, so I tiptoed out for my customary peek at the year's loot. On the couch next to my stocking, was a brown box. My heart sank. Now, I don't actually remember what I'd been hoping for, but I'm sure it was made of something pink and plastic, and probably sparkly. Most definitely not a brown box. A brown box? What was Santa thinking? I didn't like <i>brown!</i> Brown was like dirt! Now, certainly I figured there was something <i>inside</i> the box, but I couldn't even begin to care about whatever that might be. What can I say? Seven year olds aren't known for their abstract thinking. I took a deep breath and practiced my present face for the morning. No use ruining my parents Christmas over this tragedy...and headed back to bed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Emily has almost the same story to tell of this Christmas. Only, where I didn't even think it was a possibility, she was <i>expecting</i> a Molly doll. And so when she saw the brown box, she was heart broken. You can tell how anxious she was to find out, by the very fact that she peeked at all. Unlike me, Emily was highly scrupled when it came to surprises. Where I was disappointed, she was devastated. </div><div><br /></div><div>Well. The end of the story is obvious. Emily opened hers first, and when I saw what she was holding I couldn't even process it. I opened my box in a daze, barely daring to hope, and like a dream I lifted Samantha into my arms. SAMANTHA. OF MY VERY OWN. CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! </div><div><br /></div><div>This would probably be a more meaningful story if I HADN'T gotten what I wanted, and learned the true meaning of Christmas or something...but what are you gonna do? </div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-25682117966261905512009-12-02T22:42:00.000-08:002009-12-02T23:18:17.827-08:00Christmas: The blog series, Part two.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgg4vs7eqHMTIDuFMgAt240bAmU6CgqDpZIbMLFDsHZms4SZcwdknaML9Ic6pKd2ttQ212wQV-w7BIUIfENjCXFe9MImFBV3AFec6wmv_ZPClfTfNCdF0Cunskf5PjXvBjg9nWblQCd3Jl/s1600-h/12838_211507545434_553275434_4624669_5315684_s.jpg"></a><div>Tomorrow will be more creative....really! It might! But I promised daily posts, and an extra today, so here is a picture of Disneyland's freshly decorated castle:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtU_mNePzb4fZpH4nK4za03Jw8VZbTteP8n-9SpoXLDLtAxTDFzi9LCTzQUqHap7TM70_URxe-V6MxFbUTjZ5m0bFMhyIPnkoNV4Yb2U_wOb9wvzqhMKAEjH6jCutwexMM1XfnYCaOTb0/s1600-h/12838_211502610434_553275434_4624626_1537370_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtU_mNePzb4fZpH4nK4za03Jw8VZbTteP8n-9SpoXLDLtAxTDFzi9LCTzQUqHap7TM70_URxe-V6MxFbUTjZ5m0bFMhyIPnkoNV4Yb2U_wOb9wvzqhMKAEjH6jCutwexMM1XfnYCaOTb0/s320/12838_211502610434_553275434_4624626_1537370_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410901663893094914" /></a><div><br /><div>I'm not going to say directly who may or may not have started crying a little when the fake snow started going. But I'll give you a <a href="http://dergrosseohrwurm.blogspot.com/">hint.</a> And oh, who are we kidding. I totally teared up too. The holiday celebrations at Disneyland is one of the best parts of Christmas in Southern California! It's right up there with wearing flip flops to pick out a Christmas tree, and commercials for Santa's Village.*</div><div><br /></div><div>And now, to top model us out, here's me on the carousel: </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxa0SBXoSuoPMuFNib2uzxp8W54rZdBcu28DX_aYaiSv4HirL5wEK_3j-DT-MFHEb8tytO8MB3yu5HXb2ivQ5LEjFNRmkrzRbrgYaA5b2dQPvc6QEFG8IB2DfCPYjHTC3-_hmmV4ibUuw_/s320/12838_211507545434_553275434_4624669_5315684_s.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410905078011367506" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 97px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">*Meanwhile, I realize that Santa's Village is probably closed now, and by all reports was kind of sad before it was closed, but it remains one of the great regrets of my childhood that my parents never took me there.</span></span></div></div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-23331018466659389052009-12-02T17:33:00.000-08:002009-12-02T18:42:45.512-08:00A Christmas Post! Day 1: Sort of.Every year when December rolls around, my mom heads down to the drugstore and brings home a chocolate advent calendar for each one of us. Here's a bad picture of one that I stole from google:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrq-qyXi6_-6HbLYngjZC6Zcv-MIPAvHjNG_epMgZ8zotIroiQOqh1EdrJf66wWSA5JywgEVBGHu4MZKLFB_-Fq2bY2_sL7p-mf7MYUCKh6B764Qxo5lDg4QgrS9EYJiDJp4Sv-Gc2rRJF/s1600-h/little_carolers_chocolate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrq-qyXi6_-6HbLYngjZC6Zcv-MIPAvHjNG_epMgZ8zotIroiQOqh1EdrJf66wWSA5JywgEVBGHu4MZKLFB_-Fq2bY2_sL7p-mf7MYUCKh6B764Qxo5lDg4QgrS9EYJiDJp4Sv-Gc2rRJF/s320/little_carolers_chocolate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410819756974754546" border="0" /></a>If you have supermanlike vision, you'll see little numbers all over that mark the little doors. You open a door and get a chocolate, one for everyday before Christmas.<br /><br />By family tradition, my brother eats all of his on the first day. Except for the year he was vegan, when he sneered at the very idea. The chocolate's are kinda waxy, but for some reason, they remain a delightful daily treat. And when I eat one, (or seven, depending on how many days I forgot/couldn't restrain myself) it feels like Christmas.<br /><br />This year, I've decided to turn my dusty old blog into an online advent calendar. Sadly, I have no waxy chocolate to offer you, but in it's place, every day till Christmas I'll post something Christmas related. (Original!) It may be an old memory, photos of what holiday stuff is going on, an inappropriate Rudolph themed haiku...I'm really not sure.<br /><br />And yes, I am aware that this is in fact the second day of December, so I'm already off to a bad start...but if it makes you feel any better, I haven't eaten my chocolate yet either. To make up for it, I'll put up an extra post later tonight.Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-86570449840360213762009-06-03T19:18:00.000-07:002009-06-03T19:19:17.226-07:00My Day So Far:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; "><div style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 8px; font: normal normal normal small/normal arial; "><div>Got a letter from the financial aid office saying that they need yet ANOTHER piece of paperwork before they can give me my money for the year. Realized that even when I do turn that paper in, I still am not going to get any money for this summer, so that's fun. Worked on the mountain of papers due before the end of the quarter next week. Kept not having chocolate no matter how many times I checked my purse. Headed off to the group I've been leading for one of my group counseling classes. (I should preface this next sentence with this: I AM TOTALLY FINE!) Managed to hydroplane as I was exiting the freeway and crunched the front end of my car on the center divider. As a result of this I was a couple of minutes late showing up to the school I've been working at, to be met by the principal waving me and my ghetto busted car into the parking lot. Shaky and upset I took a deep breath and headed into the group. I'll keep my description of the group short and sweet. BOYS! TWELVE! RAINY DAY! ENERGY!!!!!! They were working on a project that included writing things on envelope labels. About half way through the group someone had stuck a label to the back of my sweater. Which was excellent because I had just been thinking that what this day was REALLY missing was a "Kick Me" sign. I peeled the label from my back and began preparing a stern-but-kind lecture about respect and authority and probably spelling. The label said: </div><div style="text-align: center;">"Ms. Birch is going to be a great counselor". </div><div>I felt a smile spread across my face, and a warm glow spread across my heart. All in all? Not a bad day.<br /></div></div></span>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850552450284464226.post-28156552624767812552009-02-11T20:27:00.000-08:002009-02-11T20:43:56.118-08:00How many times is too many times to write "hate" in all caps?I'm sitting in the library trying with ALL MY HEART to study even a little tiny bit for the test I have Friday. And also work on the little (read: HUGELY TIME CONSUMING) project also due Friday. But you know what? A lot of things keep getting in my way. Here they are:<div><br /></div><div>1) Facebook. Too many status updates to read/too many people willing to chat. If only there a way to turn off that function. </div><div><br /></div><div>2) Gmail.</div><div><br /></div><div>3) I hate this assignment.</div><div><br /></div><div>4) Mari accidently drove away with all of my books.</div><div><br /></div><div>5) Having to use the online resources are making problems 1 & 2 waaaaay too accessible.</div><div><br /></div><div>6) Suddenly remembered I had a blog. So of course I HAD to go post immediately, because I wouldn't want to neglect my faithful readers.</div><div><br /></div><div>7) Lauren is being particularly unhelpful, stealing my caffy mints, spreading falsehoods about me all around the library...is a wonder I still soldier on.</div><div><br /></div><div>8) Did I mention how much I HATE this assignment?</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd tell you all about the fascinating class that leads me to post here tonight, but I'm feeling bitter about it and I would HATE to complain. </div>Hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004140547995706198noreply@blogger.com3