Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Upping the Numbers

So, it is my last day here in Canada and I am doing something so fulfilling - I am upping my count. Yes, that's right, I am watching more movies. I really like watching movies and that is about all there is to do here in Small Town Alberta anyway. Right now I am watching The Happening. I know that some people have said it was crappy, but as a neuro-scientist I still wanted to watch it to see how they justified everything.

Things are going well other than that. I have been having a good time here and as much as I am ready to go home I am surprised because it came really fast. Like, really fast. Time always does this weird stand-still/fly-by thing whenever I am home. I think that makes sense so I am not going to explain it. If you are confused then just chalk it up to me being weird and ignore it.

I still have to pack. I went to Lethbridge to visit a friend from High School today, and then Jess and I went to a movie (7 Pounds - it was super good, and no, I did not cry). After we left the movie I was thinking about the things I had to do tomorrow and it hit me that I had to catch a flight tomorrow! I haven't even started thinking about packing yet. This is going to take some work. But I don't want to do it. I wish it would pack itself. Blech.

Anyway, I guess I should sign off for now. I am trying to watch this movie and it is getting really weird (what a shocker - it is a Shyamalan movie) and I kinda want to pay attention so I can complain about how crappy it was later. My next update will be from Oregon! Woo!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas Post

So, today is Christmas day and it has been a good one. I mean it. It has been a really good Christmas. I stayed up way too late last night chatting with Dallas and Jessie and then I still had to wrap presents. So basically I slept barely at all before JR woke me up to open presents after Mom got home from work. It was okay though because I just went right back to bed after the presents. The worst part about all of it is that Mom has been sick since about a week before I even got here and I think she gave it to me. Luckily I didn't seem to get as sick as she is - at least I haven't yet. I just got all achey and I had a headache and I was dizzy and stuff like that. It was weird. It came on really fast too. It was Christmas Eve and I felt fine all morning but then I had a nap on the couch and when I woke up from that I felt like crap. And I told JR and Jessie I would babysit Johnny for a while but I felt so crappy that I mostly just sat there and stared at him. Poor kid. He wanted to play but I couldn't really move. Sorry Johnny. He is super cute though. I love that little boy. :D

Anyway, I am going to sign off - I think I will give my roomie a call. I hope that the airports are all cleared out by the time that I go to leave or else there are going to be some problems. :(

Sunday, December 21, 2008

164

I stole this from a girl on facebook - it was too sad to post there so I decided to put it here instead. It is still sad.

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun.

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 9

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) Anchorman
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 18

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
(x) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 26

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
(x) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 34

(x) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
(x) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
Total so far: 43

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG
Total so far: 52

(x) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
(x) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
(x) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
(x) Halloween
(x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving x-MAS
(x) Flubber
Total so far: 61


(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
(x) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 67

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 76

(x) Bad Boys
(x) Bad Boys 2
(x) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(x) Ocean's Eleven
( ) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
(x) Predator II
(x) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
(x) Curious George
Total so far: 89

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
(x) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
(x) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 97

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
(x) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 107

(x) x-Men
(x) x-2
(x) x-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of Fire
(x) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
(x) Cruel Intentions 2
(x) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 122

(x) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
(x) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
(x) Krippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
(x) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 129

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 135

(x) Baseketball
(x) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
( ) Highlander
(x) Mothman Prophecies
(x) American History x
( ) Three
Total so Far: 140

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
(x) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 145

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
(x) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld
Total so far: 151

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) Re-Animator
(x) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 155

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 161

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
( ) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Grand Total: 164

Okay so, if 85 is you have no life, then I REALLY have no life. I guess my defense is that I grew up in a small town with nothing to do. And I like movies - that is why I was originally a film major. Hate me if you will. The end.

Lucky Me

So, basically, I am one lucky girl. I was supposed to leave Portland for Canada (through San Fran) yesterday but it was snowing a lot. Like, A LOT! So, I went to the airport - we were planning to get there early anyway, but then my flight was delayed so I was even earlier. My flight that was supposed to leave at 4 ended up leaving at 5:15 or 5:30. We were one of the last flights to leave the Portland airport before it closed for the night until 10am the next day (at least that is what they told us over the overhead pager). Then we got to San Fran and I had about 20 minutes before my next flight took off. So then we boarded and I got to Calgary just fine. Around midnight. There were no problems in Customs or anything (not that there should have been, but I always get nervous about it). Anyway, now I am here and I am lucky I was able to make it. Now I am just sitting around being bored/boring. For 10 days. Lucky me.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Cold

So it is still snowing on and off here in Oregon. I guess this is good - it will prepare me for the coldness to come when I get home. Mom said it is freezing there too. Moreso than here. Oh well. I guess this means that I will appreciate summer that much more, eh?

As for things other than that, I am a happy girl. I worked a half a day of work yesterday (Thurs) and now I am off until the new year. Thank goodness. I love time off. I haven't had it in so long that I had forgotten how nice it is. And I get to see my family - I am way pumped about that. Mostly my nephew. Forget the rest of my family, I really just want to see him. He is almost a year old now! He changes more than anyone else in my family right now so that is why I want to see him most (no offense Mom)

My flight leaves at 4 in the afternoon tomorrow and then doesn't land until almost midnight in Calgary. It is kinda weird. I have to go to San Fran first too which sucks since that means that I will have a teaser of semi-nice weather before going to the arctic tundra up north (haha)

Well, that is about all I have to say right now. I am in the middle of trying to get all my laundry and stuff done so that I can have stuff to pack. So I am off. To pack. (actually I will probably not pack until the very last minute - that's just how I roll). Au revior! My next post will be from Canada (I hope!)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

So Klutzy

Oh man. All I have to say is I deserve to have scars all over me. I am so klutzy. Today at work I was trimming these hard plastic things with a razorblade - which I have done thousands of times, and I slipped and cut myself. I did a pretty good job too. I got a pic or two but the camera was too dead to upload the pics - they will come though. Anyway, I didn't go to the urgent care or anything like that (but my roommate thinks I should have) because I hate it. I hate going in and having to explain what I did and how I could be sure that it never happens again and blah blah blah. I am just a klutz, okay you people over at workers comp? Isn't that enough for you? Apparently not. So that is why I don't go to get stitches. And it will be fine. A bit of a jagged scar, but not bad. I don't think. I am surprised I don't have more scars all over though. This explains some of the unknown scars on my body though. I m must have blocked the memory of getting them because they are from such stupid things! Gah!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Everything is Cancelled!

So, I guess I need to start off this post by mentioning that I live in Oregon. Here our weather consists of a lot of rain, some sunshine and occasionally snow that will melt as soon as it hits the ground (so not really snow at all). So, this morning our Ward choir was supposed to sing in two Ward's: our own and then a neighboring one (their Bishop used to be our councilor) but since it snowed all of two inches everything was canceled. It was nice since we were going to have to go to the other Ward super early, but it is sad since now we won't be able to sing. And I won't be here next week, and neither will a lot of people I am guessing, so I think that we probably won't be able to sing at all. I know I won't. Sad. Stupid Oregon!

Anyway, so now we are sitting around our house just doing nothing. We are going to have dinner later with a bunch of people (if they can make it here that is!) but yeah - I haven't really done much today other than sleep in and watch movies.

Well, I am off to do more nothing. I might actually take the time to shower. Woo. Go me. Over and out.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Huge 8 Ball

Okay, so I knitted this toque last night (yeah, that's right, I said toque - deal with it) and it is huge. Like, massive. Too big for anyone to ever wear. Well, that is not exactly true - but you know how when you put on a toque it is supposed to be snug and you kinda have to stretch it to put it on? Well, this one is nothing like that. This is loose. I think if I was wearing it and I bent over it would fall off. And I did an 8 ball pattern on it (I will post pics eventually maybe) and I didn't leave enough slack on the yarn and so the 8 is all bunchy and messed up. Anyway, I am going to try again and make it smaller (maybe I will actually figure out gauge this time!) and see if it works out. It would have been cute if it wasn't for those mess ups though. Wish me luck.

Anyway, I am off to the dentist to get some fillings replaced and a cleaning. I know it makes me sound sick, but I am super excited. Seriously. I haven't been able to chew on the left side of my mouth for months now and it will be nice to fix that. Yay for the dentist!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

So ...

Well, today was a long day at work. What's new, right? It seems like lately everyday is a long day at work only to look forward to another long day at work. Things keep piling up and I don't feel like I am getting anything accomplished (even though I actually am) and it is just frustrating. Oh well, I guess that is how a lot of people's jobs are.

Mostly, the only reason I am even updating this right now is that I just got home from work and there is a knitting project I want to work on (something of my own creation, I will let you know later how it turns out) and so I decided to check knitty.com to see if there are any patterns to use as a base pattern that I can change to my liking (that is the way I knit a lot of things actually). The problem is that knitty is taking forever to load, which is really annoying, and I should go shower but I want to see these patterns first so now I am stuck sitting at my computer watching the little loading circle thing spin. So annoying.

I am really tired. I stayed up way too late last night. And I didn't even do any of the things on my list that I need to do. And there are many things on that list, believe me! I just am so good at procrastinating that I end up doing a whole lot of nothing. I am hoping that after I shower I will feel more awake for a little while at least so I can finish my experiment and then go to bed nice and early (like I keep saying I am going to do and then I don't).

Well, my thing finally finished loading, so I am off to shower and knit and sleep (in that order hopefully). Wish me luck!

Monday, December 08, 2008

Procrastination Station

Well, here I am, t minus 2 hours and counting until my final in my A&P class and I am procrastinating studying. Don't freak out too much mom, I have studied a bit, I am just procrastination studying anymore. So I thought I would check me email and my facebook and my blog again (see previous post) and there was nothing good, so what do I do next? I write a blog entry.

Things are going okay here in Mandi-land. My friend Mark bought Rock Band and so we have been having fun playing the drums and singing the last couple of days (we still have fun playing the guitars, but we did that anyway). I wish I was doing that instead of taking a test tonight - but oh well. I can later since this is the last class. Now I am trying to sell the darn books from the class and all I can say is - go half.com! Sell my blasted book for me!

I am feeling pretty broke right now anyway, which is sucky when you are trying to figure out Christmas presents but there are no dolla dolla bills anywhere. Blech. Oh well I guess, I will just have to make do. I have been trying to find a good stuffed monkey for my nephew since he was born and today I was in Kohl's and I saw the perfect one for only $5. It is a stuffed Curious George monkey - but it is the right size and cuddly, so I think I will go back and get it when I get paid. Yes, I am that broke that I can't even afford a $5 monkey. Shut up.

Friday night is going to be a Christmas party at the house of one of the guys in the ward and it should be way fun. There is going to be a live band, and then karaoke to follow, and there will be all sorts of games and food and activities. It should be awe-some! (yes I sang that as I typed). I am looking forward to it. And I am getting my stupid tooth fixed the day before that so I will be able to actually eat with both sides of my mouth at the party. That is even better.

Anyway, I guess I better get back to studying (happy now Mom?) but I will update again later. :D

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Australia

So, last night my friends and I went to see Australia. We went based a little bit on a whim - we wanted to do something but I was feeling kinda lazy and so I didn't want to go bowling like they did. Anyway, we watched the preview and my one friend was a bit annoyed because Hugh Jackman was so scruffy in it - but then there was one shining moment where he had a shaved face, so she said it was okay and we went. It was way good. Hugh has some very nice glamour shots in it! Oh yeah! But dang it was long. There were about three times when I thought it was ending and then - surprise - there is another scene! I liked it though.

In other news - last night was the Ward Christmas party. It was fun. I always love free food! Woot! Can't complain about that. And it was really good food too - salad, veggies, baked potatoes, ham, rolls and dessert. And Martinelli's. :D Tonight I am volunteering to serve dinner at another Ward's Christmas dinner. I think they are going to feed us too, which will be nice.

Today the only thing I did - other than sleep - is get my cv ready. I am so ready for another job because my boss is a bit hard to deal with sometimes. Also, I just feel like for all the work I do I get paid beans. And I know that we didn't get this one grant funded so there is not much of a chance I am going to get a raise. And let's face it, times are tough. Financially I mean. So I wouldn't complain about more money.

Well, I am off to serve, I will update again later. I plan to do so more often (although I sucked at keeping those plans before - lol)

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Posting Woes

Okay, so lately I have become obsessed with checking everything - email, blogs,facebook, ebay, etc - about every five minutes or so. It is like I think that I am going to get some awesome email that will change my life and if I don't read it as soon as it is posted or sent then I will never be able to read it and the life changing thing will not happen. How silly is that? I think it is because I am looking for a change but I am not sure where I am hoping it will come from. Maybe I am hoping that I will find out what to do with my life through an email.

Anyway, I was so annoyed that no one (except Lex) had updated their blogs lately and then I realized I hadn't either, and I didn't want to be a hypocrite so I thought I better blog. And I am going to try to do it more consistently so that when other people don't update often I don't feel to hypocritical. LOL.

So here I am.

I just finished my A&P final and I have decided that I am not going to take it next semester. I am really going to focus on getting a different job before next summer and I don't want to have to work that new job when I get it around a class. Also, it was hard. :(

I think I am going to work on finishing my novel now. I know, you thought it was already finished - but it was only finished in terms of the contest. Which means I wrote 50,000 words. It doesn't mean that the story is concluded. I will work on that since I know that Barlow is reading it and if I don't give him a conclusion before it is done he might be a bit confused. Haha. Also, then I am going to work on editing and stuff during the Christmas break. I have been meaning to enter this contest for a million years now and I haven't so I might try to get something ready for that too - we will see. The limit for that is 17,000 so I either have to cut my NaNo novel waaaaay down or write something else. But I do have something else in the works, so we will see.

Well, I am off to work on finishing that now. I will post tomorrow - probably late though cause work is going to su-uck!

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

I've Been Making Changes...

So, as you have probably noticed by now (unless this is your first time reading my blog) I have changed my layout. I even changed the blog title! Even though I have to say that the description is a lie - there isn't a whole new me, it just sounded good. I am ready for change though, that is for sure. Not that I am unhappy - I don't want anyone to walk away from reading this thinking that I am unhappy - but I still want some change to occur. I want a new job. I want to go to new places. I want to read new books. I want to write new books. I want to do all the things I always wanted to do but never got around to. I want to stop being as lazy about getting on top of things as I have been. I want to know what to do with my future and follow that course - not just sit around humming and ha-ing like I usually do.

Now that you know what I want, you also have a pretty clear list of the things that aren't going to change. I am going to try for a new job, but I probably won't get one anytime soon (stupid economy). I can't afford to go to new places. I might actually be able to read new books. I can't write a new book, I need to finish writing and editing my old books. I won't stop being lazy about getting to stuff because a lot of time it isn't laziness so much as lack of energy, lack of time and an abundance of fear. And I am so indecisive I have no idea what to do with my future.

But I am going to try to figure all these things out. And I figured the best way to start was to change my layout on my blog that maybe ten people read (ps, Hi Mom!)