Hard Candy

Today I had a list a mile long to do. Needless to say - not everything got time dedicated to it. I did spend quite a bit of time attempting to weed the spot around our rhubarb. I listened to The Civil War by Shelby Foote for about 2 hours while doing paperwork stuff and cleaning. I also biked around doing errands for a while today. The best part of the day was being able to sink my teeth into the ribs I made! OMG were they so good! It was probably because I had been salivating over them slow cooking all afternoon long. Another awesome part of my day was sitting down and watching Lee and Grant on the History Channel with my dad. It is the Civil War Week and my dad and I are pretty big war nerds. Here we were shouting out the names of generals and battles going on and commenting on how stupid some generals were. I was at least pleased with this show as it didn't have celebrities popping up to give their opinions on history.

Today I decided to try a new product. I have been looking into getting a primer for a long time. I have skin that make up more or less would prefer to run off than stay on. I am told and I have read that a cosmetic primer is best for helping cosmetics adhere. Well, I tried Hard Candy's Sheer Envy Skin Perfecting Primer and I do not think it made my skin or cosmetics apply any better than they had before. I plan on giving this product a while longer to prove itself. Considering that it is more than likely possible operator error holding back the usefulness of this product than the product itself. The primer actually looks a little like petroleum jelly, but goes on smoother and not anywhere near as greasy.



Hahaha - I realize I am probably the only person on the face of the planet that could have both cosmetics and bloody war combined into one blog!

Let's Talk About Sex Baby

I have been quite disturbed recently with a great deal of ... SEX! I have to dip into other media, not just books for this talk. I have recently been reading a book, London: The Wicked City: A Thousand Years of Prostitution and Vice by Fergus Linnane. This book is making me really begin to consider what the muffin man really did on Drury Lane since it was a hotbed of nasty nasty! There were things called posture molls that were basically dominatrix ladies. They flogged or were flogged and many of them did a special dance and trick that was followed by the spectators attempting to chuck money into her "commodity" (and she was typically in a head stand about this time). It is kind of interesting to see that sex and sex fetishes have not changed since the 1700s...and I'm sure Mesopotamia and Greece and Rome had just as many freaks as London did in the 18th Century. It is easy to see why there was such prudery in the Victorian Era if it followed the horny 18th Century - this is probably why British people are so darn repressed now. They were kinkier than kinky back in the day and now they are trying to work back out to a normal after fluxing into the extreme prude in the Victorian Era.

This leads me to our more modern media and literature. Is anyone else disturbed that more and more lyrics are beginning to sound like rape? The whole of Kanye West's addition to Katy Perry's ET is raunchy and this part sounds like rape:

Tell me what's next, alien sex
I'mma disrobe you, than I'mma probe you
See I abducted you, so I tell ya what to do
I tell ya what to do, what to do, what to do

There are a bunch of other songs out there as well that sound exactly like this or have similar lyrics to excuses guys use as justification for rape. Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent have lyrics in a song, Ayo Technology, that sound like these justifications:

Ooh, she wants it, uh uh, she wants it
Ooh, she wants it, (so), I gotta give it to her,
Ooh, she wants it, uh uh, she wants it
Ooh, she wants it, (so), I gotta give it to her,

Call me crazy, but I think I like my songs with more of sexual innuendo than full on descriptive. We don't have anymore black snake moans or hound dogs. Artists had to be so creative back in the day to get their yearning out there, now guys just tell all us girls to shake it, "sit" on "it", spin it round the pole a few times, and show them our breasts. I was really quite disturbed in 2010 when popular radio stations were playing the Top 100 (or whatever number their station was) songs of the last decade...most of the top 20 were about shaking your butt. I think part of the reason I have taken to folk and blues music more and more because there is actual emotion and plot and detail to these songs other than grabbing or shaking or humping! Goodness Grapenuts, Josephine Baker used to dance around topless in Paris and she had more class in her songs than half the music on the radio today. Personally, I think I'd rather listen to my kids sing Night Moves by Bob Seger than Right Round by Flo Rida.

I do have to say that pop culture is trying to redeem itself in the form of Glee. I have to say on of the most honest and real sex talks I have ever heard was when Kurt's dad sat down to talk to him about sex. It was definitely a respect yourself and that's the best you can do for yourself when it comes to sex. I can respect someone that gives a message of expressing yourself sexually but doing it in a way true to yourself and respecting yourself. That is the best way to keep the balance - just be true to self!

The Green Bee

I recently watched The Green Hornet with my family. Let's just say it isn't all that family friendly. It isn't that surprising having Seth Rogen, the guy who started in such things like Freaks and Geeks, Knocked Up, etc. (mostly being a pot head in everything he does), playing the Green Hornet. He was really rather crass and an ass. No wonder Cameron Diaz character didn't want to have anything to do with him. I really did like his "side-kick" though. He was pretty much the BAMF of the film. I think this is a bit more of a grown up hero film since it did have some interesting stunts, fights, and you can't go wrong with a movie that has guest appearances by James Franco and Edward Furlong.


The story basically follows these two guys who originally go out to raise trouble by chopping the head off the statue of their father and former boss. They end up stopping some crime that is going on in the same area and they get a taste for being the good guys. Kato the car guy, played by Jay Chou, kicks butt. He invents some of the coolest things - including the car the Green Hornet drives around in - and he's the one with all the cool moves. They continue on their path of good while pretending to be bad guys - they can only do this by following the information the secretary, Lenore (Cameron Diaz), comes up with. She studied criminology so she knows a little more about crime than Kato and Britt (the Green Hornet) do combined. They travel down the road of fake crime and end up confronting some of the biggest crime lords of the city along with some of their own bad habits.

Watch it Jail Bait

As I look at my Shape magazine with a Kardashian plastered on it, it is only fitting that I mention the engagement of Kim to Kris Humphries. Kim has been waiting so long to get married. I guess she just had to switch her sports to get the right man. I think Kourtney is the next Kardashian that should get a basketball hunk - and ditch the physco guy she seems to love.


Another couple's love who seems to be exploding out in every direction seems to be Selena and Justin Bieber. I remember coming back from Scotland in 2009 and being confused about the Beaver guy everyone kept talking about on the radio. Little did I realize how much the Bieb would be haunting my future as my brother chants "Justin Bieber" and randomly busts out in Bieber songs. I think Selena better be a little more careful what she is photographed doing with her boyfriend since he's still jail bait! I think it's funny that it has always really been a countdown until celebrity girls are no longer jail bait - now everyone is waiting for Biebs to hit 18! I feel bad that celebrities have to go around editing their life because other people have no life and insist on jabbing a camera lens in all their business. Honestly, no one interrupts your honeymoon or romantic vacation, wedding, dates or any other private event buy shoving a camera in your face and often being rude and unpleasant. You know I'm happy Justin and Selena have found "somebody to love" (I couldn't help myself) but I think while they enjoy their vacation, they still need to remember they have a legion of young fans that don't need to be exposed to the PDA of straddling. Trust me, it was bad enough seeing my neighbor being straddled by his girlfriend in the cafeteria! It isn't pleasant anywhere, at any time, by anyone. There are places for that...and I guess I was a bit of a pervy paparazzi when I saw several couples straddling on benches in Paris (I took a picture of one of them in the middle of a garden park and zoo - way to expose those young kids at the zoo and museum next door...guess they don't need to learn about the birds and bees anymore). Really - it is the city of love, not STDs on city benches.

Full 8 Hours

So I'm currently trying to get the gumption to write something. I came home from my sister's world fair project tonight and just about passed out...ok, I think I lasted maybe 30 minutes. Lately I have been feeling a little off - I think I got a cold (joy) - and I was just ready for sleep. I've gotten about 4 1/2 hours in already...so I'm guessing I'm going to make the 8 hour suggested hours of sleep plus some.

Last weekend I spent cuddling the cutest man on the face of the planet. He mostly kept sticking his foot in my ribs or bashing his head into my face. I still love him the most in the world and the only boy I really want to cover in kisses for a really long time. If you haven't guessed by now, he's my now one year old nephew! How does time seem to go so fast!?!? It seems like such a short period of time, yet I can't really imagine my life without him in it! If things are sucking and I'm feeling sad - I look at his picture and I can't help but smile! He's the only 'man' I really need in my life right now. Prince Harry or Marucs Mumford or Matthew Gray Gubler could walk into my life right now and, no kidding, I'd still freak out, but I'd still choose my nephew at the end of the day...which might speak to my trust issues, but I can't imagine the world without my little nephew.


I've been continuing the working out and I started my eating journal again. You should see the long drawn out calculations I made to figure out how many calories one should consume in a day - ok, it wasn't that excessive. I'll have to put it up on here sometime...it includes BMI, goal weights, currently height and weight. I was on a walk with my sister and she pointed out that us girls have a problem with self-esteem: "We are beautiful, intelligent women and yet we keep telling our selves that we are stupid, incapable, fat and ugly...and that needs to stop."

My most recent job has now ended. I'm glad I was able to do something for a while, even if it only gave me tendinitis so bad I had to stop working for a few days. This led me to my chiropractor (you know, the man with the hands of gold) and he currently is looking for someone to work in his office! He told me to hand in my resume and luckily I had just printed off a couple and had them stashed in my car! It's kind of interesting how things happen - like, I get injured and go to the chiropractor, he has a spot open up, and I just so happen to have a resume on hand. Seems kind of like destiny - plus, if I worked there I could probably do the online library sciences program through UW-Milwaukee.

I'm headed to the Vampire Academy

Wow, for some weird reason I am beyond ridiculously tired tonight! My eyes are about to fall out of my head I am so tired. Probably has something to do with the weird dreams I had last night...but oh well.

I am super excited to find out that there is the possibility for a Vampire Academy movie. I am beyond stocked. I even have a signed copy of the last book in the series. Oh yeah, I'm that nerdy about this series...and dare I say it, I think it might even be better than Twilight! Oh snap, I went there. Richelle Mead has an interesting love, vampire, school twist that Stephenie Meyer doesn't have...it mostly subtracts the creepy, emo feel. Trust me, it is still full of tons of teen angst and vampires with special powers - these vampires specialize in elements of water, fire, spirit...etc. and they can all do the Jasper thing to the nth degree - called compulsion. It's a pretty cool novel. I liked it a lot and I'm hoping that it's movies will turn out better than having whining Kristen Stewart on set.



Another thing I was spending a lot of time doing today was...reading about prostitution in London. It is quite interesting and out there. I can't believe that the British at one point had street names like Gropecuntlane, Cock Lane, and other descriptive titles. The names some of these people have too...they are brilliant. There was a guy named Richard Head and I wasn't the only one who immediately thought: "Dick Head." I wonder if Londoners would have gotten that or if the brilliance of his name was just wasted on people that call them pricks. Richard Head brought up the names of a couple other people who happened to have Richard and then unforgiving last or middle names. It is kind of disturbing to see that the debauchery reached from the highest to the lowest and the oldest to the youngest. One of the leaders in bringing prostitution back to London was the church...they got too much money out of it to let it be put out of business.

Now that I have officially grossed you out - I am off to get some sleep! Hopefully minus the weird dreams.

Girl Talk

I have to say it...I have missed GIRL TALK! Meeting up with my girl friends and my sister and just talking crap is so much fun: OMG, he has the most gorgeous blue eyes ever! I want a baby with brown hair and brown eyes...Please tell me your crush doesn't have brown eyes...nope, blue. Ugh, he's kind of short and that's a turn off...but it's only to about here (sister squats down about a foot to demonstrate height difference). How do you know when you really love someone? Oh my, Marcus is SOOOOOOO not going to marry you with that burping problem of yours!...I hate to say it, but I think he'd love me with or without the burping problem. Wow, that guy is really kind of depressing. Dang GINA, that dress makes you look HOT! Ok, ok - enough examples, I'm assuming you are starting to get the picture right about not. It usually revolves around how much guys suck to how cute guys are and back around to how weird they are - example: brother attempting to pee into a bottle today and spraying just about everywhere! YUCK! It might sound like mindless drivel to most people, but it is so much fun! I am going to recommend that you go out and get yourself some girl talk. I can't begin to tell you how exhausting it can be between work and making dinner, cleaning and helping kids do homework. Sometimes life just gets WAY to serious and you need a little time to relax and have girl talk...it's probably why Sex and the City is so popular!

The Finale

Gag - my sister is currently making me listen to some random country song. Barf, gag, vomit! There is only so much I can take! :D

I haven't actually read any new books this week. I'm still working on a couple and I finished the serial killer book a few nights ago. I have, however, watch the season finales of two of my favorite shows!

Bones ended up with Angela and Hodgins having their baby and da, da, da....Brenan is pregnant with Booth's baby! I love this show, but I kind of have to agree with my mom that it is headed to the trailer park. I am a little excited though to see what they do with the story line now that they finally have Booth and Brenan "together".

The finale to Criminal Minds was interesting. I can't really remember what happened with the murders, but I remember Garcia's boyfriend (forever and always a Mr. Xander Harris to me) asking her to buy the farm with him. I don't know if that was a proposal or an invitation to leave the BAU...or maybe both. They also seem to be hinting that Hotch might not be coming back even thought J.J. is coming back. I still really want Prentice to come back - she's one of my favorite characters! Yet again, I am excited to see what they do when the story line picks back up next season!

It's a Wonderful Life

So I was getting some flack recently because I have never before seen It's a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart is the wonderful George Bailey, who has spent his whole life trying to get out of his small home town and yet he is stuck in Bedford Falls. He gets stuck running the family business but he gets to marry a lovely girl and have four amazing children. His brother is able to go off to college, marries a lovely girl, and gets to go off and be a war hero (George has to miss the war because of a prior injury). Right before his brother is to come home to a hero's welcome, some business trouble leaves George distraught and wishing he'd never been born. A guardian angel grants him his wish and he gets to experience what his home town and the people he knows would be like if he's never been born. Needless to say, George finds a beautiful lesson through his experience.


I really enjoyed this movie and I'm surprised it took me this long to finally see it! It has such a wonderful message and was well done. I recommend it to anyone else who hasn't already sat down and watched this movie.

Khloe and Lamar

Ugh - I am so tired right now! I had planned on getting some laundry in before 10:30pm when I checked my wet towels in the basket with my sheets right before leaving to take my brother to his soccer practice. His practice ended up going until about 7:15 (the parents versed the kids at kick ball and we totally won) and then we went over some friends place for dinner. We didn't even eat until 8:30 and then, of course, the chatting continued on and on until nearly 10. Conundrum is that I only have one set of sheets and after working and playing kick ball...I am exhausted!

Anyways, the flitty story I have today has to deal with Khloe and Lamar. My sister loves watching the show after school. I sometimes join with in the mindless drivel. It's kind of like watching Girls Next Door - midnless and yet somehow entertaining. The one episode I caught recently had Khloe trying to teach Lamar a lesson about cleaning by leaving "dark curly hairs" around and a bloody tampon in the toilet. Lamar and Khloe's brother, Robert, find the "mess" and start freaking out. Lamar picks up the hairs and screams like a little girl...and then he moves on to pick the "bloody" tampon up out of the toilet to look at it and squeal in disgust. Really - I could tell that the tampon wasn't actually bloody, but looked more like koolaid or something similar...still, WHAT GUY WOULD PICK IT UP?!? Are guys really that gross? I would like to think most of the guys I know would NEVER do something like that, let alone pick something up out of the toilet. It could just be my germaphobic status that I believe this of the guys I know, but come on. I couldn't imagine a brother being ok with going around observing hair and tampon situations in their sister and brother-in-law's bathroom. Ick! They seem happy and yet delightfully disfunctional. I definitely wish them luck in their marriage...and hopefully Lamar will learn his cleaning lesson without further dirastic measures being deployed.

DOTA

Just chillin' - listening to my Pandora account Mumford and Sons station. I love them so MUCH! Seeing them live is life altering it is that good. I once new a person that said they would always change the radio station if they recognized the song they heard on the radio. I don't get that at all. Yes, you hear more songs, but what is the point of listening to music and having favorites if you never listen to it when it is on or occasionally belt out the lyrics with the song? Honestly, what's the point of listening to music if you aren't going to enjoy it? I have songs that make me happy or zen. Mumford and Sons and Eric Clapton can make me feel both pumped up and completely calm all at the same time - probably has something to do with my constant playing of these two artists during finals weeks and intense paper writing sessions. There is one song - DOTA, by Basshunter - and it never fails to make me so happy. I jump around like a giddy girl when ever it plays...which is why in the morning when I get ready it's typically on repeat :D

Love life is blah. The most men I see are old men that spit their snot in front of you and married men - like my chiropractor that has hands of gold. I think my mother is still hard at work on arranging my marriage.

Health is doing better. My body measurements are beginning to go a bit wonky - migrating to different areas of my body :| The tendinitis in my hand is much better, but my back is sort of getting better. I feel like such a freak with an ice pack on my hand and a heating pad on my back. Oh well. I went for a really long bike ride/walk with some of my friends the other day. It was nice to chat and catch up. I got one of my dresses that I am trying for my brother's wedding and it looks good. My sister says I look like a movie star! My mom is at least happy that the dress covers my cleavage well enough.

I am happy to say that I only have 5 more days at my current job. I don't know if my poor back and hand could take too much more of this. So the job hunt continues on and on...etc. etc.

Well, I'm off to ice and heat various parts of my body and read some more!

Advocates for Fair

You know what I find the most interesting about reading this book on serial killers (The how to find them book...) is that there are people who advocate for these serial killers. I know there are people who actually are wrongfully charged and need someone to advocate for them, but really?!?

There was a murderer who was an illegal immigrant and he murdered nearly a dozen people - rather brutally. Since he killed a majority of his victims in Texas, he got the death penalty. There were people there protesting his execution because it was racist and wrong because he was mentally ill. His mental illness was his low IQ and I don't know HOW it is racist - the guy came over our border multiple times and MURDERED PEOPLE!!! He started out with robbery, grand theft auto, assault...etc. and then he went on to murder. I don't mean to be rude, but I am supposed to pay tax money to support this illegal immigrant and serial killer because "it's racist" or "he doesn't know what he's doing." I don't care if it makes me sound cold or not, but I don't think it is fair to spend money on supporting an illegal immigrant and a murderer to have a comfortable life. Life in jail is a whole lot more comfortable than some of the other ways of life - they at least know they are going to get a regular meal and have a bed to sleep in every night and not all law abiding citizens have that comfort.

Not to mention, how can you claim a low IQ as a reason you shouldn't pay for your crimes. There are people with high and average IQs that have to pay for their crimes, why should you get out because you are "stupid" and "don't understand what you are doing". Does that mean a clepto with the mental illness and drives to steal don't have to be held responsible for their actions? Even people who accidentally kill people or kill people in a fit of passion have to pay for their crimes. I'm not advocating that every one who commits murder needs to die through the death penalty, but I don't think that serial killers have any right to petition or claim "it isn't fair"; do you think it was fair that your victims don't get to continue living their lives, seeing their kids grow old, having grandchildren, laughing with friends, doing ANYTHING - it is now completely gone for those people, the victims.

Handy Hot Dog and the Hamburglar

So with the craziness of soccer and baseball season upon our household and we are running around like chickens with out heads cut off. One of the things to suffer during the crazy schedule of this season is dinner. Our test run for these next two weeks is the preparation of pre-made meals so the kids can heat something up and eat before they have to be shuttled off to practice or a game. If you have a similar schedule at your house - this will come in handy!

Yesterday I mixed up an enormous amount of beef (about 6lbs worth of beef) with mustard, salt, pepper, eggs, and milk. Than I used an ice cream scoop to get a nice scoop of beef to mold into patties. I made just 71 hamburgers yesterday....71! I broiled 26 of the burgers up and then let them cool. After a sufficient amount of time cooling, the burgers were stuck into buns and zipped into a bag and tossed into the freezer. The remaining 45 burgers were frozen raw and placed 12 to a bag (1 meals worth of burgers for a family of 6...they aren't the world's largest burgers).

I did a similar thing with 24 hot dogs. Those already come pre-cooked, so they just needed to be popped in a bun, zipped up, and but in the freezer. Tonight we had our first everyone grabs what they can meal. The hot dogs actually turned out pretty well. I had to microwave it for about 30 seconds first to get the bun to separate from the hot dog and then I just needed to nuke the hot dog for an additional 30 seconds - and dinner! Ok...so not quite a dinner, but when you add sides like beans and yogurt - it's pretty exceptional. I was starving by the time I got home tonight - I'd bumped into some good friends and we ended up walking all over town and chatting. It was fun, but I was definitely in need of food by the time I got home!

Murderers and then even MORE Murderers

I have been reading the book Mapping the Trail of a Serial Killer: How the World's Most Infamous Murderers were Tracked Down by Brenda Ralph Lewis. I think she's probably British since she uses kilometers and ques and the term nee (which is French).

I am actually really fascinated with this book. I have a problem with reading it before going to bed and then dreaming about some weird crap. I actually find it really interesting that it often takes the police a decade or more to find these guys. It is painful when the killer is interviewed and picked up but they just don't have enough evidence to convict the person.

It is interesting to see the paths that some of these killers had - one guy in South America narrowly escaped being tribally executed to only be convicted for only 15 years (the maximum sentence in the country) and then go on to kill even more people. His total amount of child victims is around 300+! 300 children had to die because of this guy and the lack of a firm judicial system in South America. He was never actually convicted for more than those 15 years; however, there were multiple hits put out on the guy and he never resurfaced. I can't say that I'm all that sad - it's sad when the judicial system fails, but at least this guy is not out there harming any more children. I wonder if his hit death was more painful than the tribal execution he managed to elude because of a missionary convincing the tribe to trust the judicial system. They had him buried up to his neck in the sand and then dumped honey all over him to attract the ants. You can guess the rest of how that would have turned out - very slow and painful. He was known as the Monster of the Andes.

Another serial killer I found interesting was the Stockwell Strangler. I mostly found his case interesting because the one person to survive his attacks was a Mr. Prentice. I found this interesting and I am wondering if it is a coincidence (I doubt it) but Emily Prentice is one of the characters on Criminal Minds - a profiler who catches serial killers.

The name of Cullen has also been tainted by this book. Charles Cullen was a guy who went around injecting patients with either insulin or a cardiac medication that would induce death. I find it appalling that so many of his murders were covered up or brushed over because the hospitals were worried about getting sued. There also wasn't a way for hospitals to check out the work history of employees. This guy moved from job to job and would either be sent away or would leave when suspicions would start to be raised.

This is an interesting read. A very shocking, disturbing, gut wrenching read, but something that I found interesting. I think even more disturbing than the crimes themselves were often the loop holes that let the murderers remain out and killing. Sometimes, the legal systems of countries just scare me!

The Way Back

Yesterday, I did the family shopping, ironing, and I made dinner. This time I made pork chops with chutney and mashed potatoes and green beans. It was delicious. I also managed to stop by the Redbox and pick up some movies. I got Never Say Never for my siblings and ended up being witness to a majority of it as I ironed and made dinner. After dinner I was able to escape and watch the movie I had selected for myself: The Way Back. I had seen the advertisements all over in France earlier this year - and I just wanted to see it as the title in French is something more like: The Trails of Liberty. So I finally saw the movie that had been plastered on the side of my 262A bus and on the post just outside my school.



The premise of the story is based on the Gulag system in Communist USSR. Jim Sturgess's character, Janusz, is a Polish man (part of the military) that is imprisoned after the USSR invades Poland during World War II. He is tortured but refuses to admit to being a spy and taking part in sabotage plots. When he does not comply, they torture his wife into confessing to his "crimes" of sabotage and spying. This lands him in a Gulag in Siberia. It doesn't take long for him to realize that he must attempt to escape: if he dies trying, then at least he will die a free man. Several people from the camp join him in the escape and the begin their journey South towards Mongolia. They lose and gain people along their journey - and find that they most continue on when they discover that Mongolia has fallen into the hands of Communism. Janusz is compelled to continue on because he wants to get home to his wife - he must get back to her because he knows how difficult it will be for her to forgive herself after she was tortured into confessing to crimes that he had not committed.

Since I had only really seen the posters in French, I had no idea what the movie would even be about - I was pleasantly surprised to find that it covered the topic of Gulags. I was in a Russian history class a while back and I was extremely shocked to learn about the things the Soviet Union did to it's own people. I love Jim Sturgess (it's his 33rd Birthday tomorrow - I can't believe he's 33!) and Colin Farrell - so this movie was great. And people who know me automatically know that I think the two are extremely sexy; however, it was hard to think people with rotting teeth, severe sunburn, dehydration, and all over ickiness as gorgeous. I do have to say that the character that Jim Sturgess played, was just incredibly powerful. He was so inspiring and driven by what he wanted that he led a group of people some 4,000 miles - through Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet and across the Himalayas into India. Ed Harris was brilliant and just amazing. He's still very cowboy and was the only person (not already Eastern European) who didn't have to fake an Eastern European accent. The girl who played Briony, Saoirse Ronan, is a nice addition of femininity to the all male cast. She adds a softness and an all around gentleness to the group. Colin Farrell was good at being a jerk and criminal - it was interesting to have his opinion of communism thrown into the mix. The other guys who are on the journey also do an amazing job. They were all so good in their roles that I didn't mind watching the lengthy movie and the documentary of "The Journey of the Journey" after a long and exhausting day. It was a very moving story about determination, kindness, and forgiveness. I was very beautifully done and the scenery was amazing. I have to say - the ending was a little tacky. The feet walking across Soviet history was appalling. Almost like someone didn't really know how to show that passing of time so they just slapped that together and said - ok, it's done. Still - a great movie worth a watch or two or more :D

Rock and Roll

Yesterday, the blog site was down - so no writing. I probably could have waited a little longer, but drinking my sleepy time tea before attempting to write was probably not the best of ideas. Tonight - Friday the 13th, it is probably better to stay in and watch movies and read about serial killers...rather than meeting them out and about. It is kind of weird the FX has had 27 Dresses and Made of Honor on in a row and it is Friday the 13th. When I was in Scotland, almost every month had a Friday the 13ths and when I was sick in Scotland...I watched the same two movies over and over! Freaky Friday!

To catch up with last night...
Well, my mom and my "future mother-in-law" got together and were tittering with laughter about arranging a bride price. Oi! They are so weird, but I probably shouldn't joke too much about it since who knows - I don't want to jinx myself and be married to a missionary in Siberia!
My health has now gotten me a 4 day weekend. I asked the other day if there was something to do differently while watering to possibly save my poor hand from cramping up into a claw & my boss freaked out and sent me home halfway through the day with orders to be assessed by a doctor and my ability to continue working. So I get to be re-assessed on Monday.
My career is still a mine field of blah.



To jump to the celebrity news - Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey had twins. Monroe and Moroccan - apparently the call them Roc and Roe...to sound like Rock and Roll. It is kind of disgusting. If their names weren't enough to call social services on them, apparently someone else did before they even got out of the hospital. People just like to stir up drama so there is something to report. If I were a tabloid writer - I'd do it almost all the time. It would be perfect for getting some drama to go along with the story of the birth of a celebrity baby.

Chocolate Candies

Yummy - I wish that I could just suck all the sour sugariness from all SourPatch Kids. They are so addictingly good. I am such a candy junkie, between my chocolate and other candy addictions - no wonder I have a weight issue. I am actually reading through a book on nutrition and it is extremely interesting. I may have to switch out my chocolat addiction for dark chocolate. You can eat dark chocolate (70% or more) and it will help you lower and help keep blood pressure under control, keep inflammation low, and lowers heart attack and stroke risks. That is great news - and I totally love dark chocolate. It is weird that dark chocolate in America tastes like crap but it's so delicious in Europe that it's all I would want to eat while there.



Some pretty nasty weather came through today. I got sent home early when lightening began to strike. It was a really beautiful storm. It was really nice though to get to come home early- my poor hand is in agony and my thumb has a nickle sized blister. I'm probably going to have to wait a week to be able to hold a pen and write a letter to my friend. Well - I am off to bed

Cycle test

Today my little brother and I did something a little radical for us - we rode out bikes down to the library. The library part isn't the radical...it's the bike portion. It was interesting teaching him how to signal the directions you were taking while at intersections. I don't think he picked up much...mostly because he really doesn't care as long as he doesn't get hit. Simply strapping on a backpack and heading out to run errands is economical and healthy! Plus, it was a way to keep someone who is grounded active and not bored to death...trying to break the rules.



It was a fun thing to do on the first 80 degree day of the year. It certainly helped save gas and that is always important when the price is hanging around $4 a gallon. So if you are sick of gas prices - hop on a bike for your next round of errands. Its really nice when there is a beautiful sunset and some wonderful weather out to enjoy!

I'd rather be in Austenland

There has been a recent debate over romance and chivalry between me and a friend. I can tell you that I actually am creeped out by romance. I once had a guy attempt to serenade me and I was just uncomfortable...and I had a creepy French guy try being uber romantic to me and I considered what would happen if I asked the cops we passed to help me. To me, romance is the guy who doesn't treat you like the rest of the world does. I have had to deal with a lot of crap from men in some of the jobs I have had - breast staring, butt smacking, proposals, requests to spank someone with a stir stick, and numerous other creepy things. We don't want a guy who is going to treat us like crap when we get home. We want one that is going to make us feel special and treat us more kindly than the rest of the jerks we have to deal with. To be honest - if I had to deal with the same kind of guy that I had to deal with on a daily basis, I'd much prefer watching Mr. Darcy or Colonel Brandon or ... you name it.



That brings me to the book that I read. I listened to Austenland by Shannon Hale. The story follows a 30 something year old woman, Jane, who is single and looking for a Mr. Darcy. She feels the pathetic-ness of her life sink in as she sinks more and more into the dream of a Darcy. A rich great aunt finds her stash of Austen based movies and decides to help her out of her rut. She leaves Jane a trip to Austenland in her will - hoping it will cure her of her delusions (well that is what Jane assumes this trip is for). Jane goes to Auestenland for a full three weeks of sauntering around in all the glory of Austen's Britain. She discovers that the snoody who typically afford this type of trip are all into the characters that they portray. She has a little trouble letting go and slipping into character - she sees hope for a cure in the arms of a tall drink of water gardener. He attempts to break things off and she begins to through herself more into character as a chance to get over her obsession - treating the whole experience as some sort of therapy. She still has some hard times excepting the surreal nature of the experience - breaking character occasionally, she tries to break through to Mr. Nobly (the Mr. Darcy of Austenland). There are twists and turns and juicy drama that happens. Then - Jane meets the perfect man on the plane home! It is such a good book and so fits for any Austen fan.

Happy Mother's Day

I don't want to talk about any movie or video today. I made a short blip for my mom this Mothers Day. I hope every one had an amazing day and got to spend some time telling or showing their mom how much they love and appreciate all she does!

Thor vs. Conan the Barbarian

So I happen to actually like action movies quite a lot. I like blood and guts and gore. I'm a weird girl, but hey - I get arthritic fingers after a few days of using a hose for long periods of time...I have to get my thrills from somewhere! Two BIG movies are coming out soon. Thor seems to be new while Conan the Barbarian was already played by The Governator (a.k.a. Arnold Schwarzenegger...I'm a little afraid for my life and why I could just spell his last name without having to look it up).


Thor was released today and despite having cool people in it like Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins - I think it looks stupid. I hate to say it because I think that Anthony Hopkins would make one awesome Odin, but egh. I was watching the trailer with my roomies last weekend and they were all swooning over the guy that plays Thor...I was gagging. I know that the main guy shouldn't be the reason to go to a film...but let's face it - besides the action action movies bring to our lives...they also bring really hot men! Sad, but true. I'm sorry to the poor actor guy, but I do not think he is all that gorgeous and his voice actually annoys the heck out of me. This will further cement me as a nerd, but I have an image of Thor in my head and this guy does not even come close. The Scottish guys in this commercial come a tad bit closer to my imagined Thor. So here is a trailer - decide if you want to go see Thor become the defender of the people.



The other movie I wanted to talk about is Conan the Barbarian. I am kind of interested to see what will be done with this movie and story line...besides being able to finally understand the dialogue. I like Jason Momoa a lot! Heck, I watched Star Gate: Atlantis because of him and his gorgeous hair. I am also excited to see Rose McGowan in this movie. I bet she'll play a witch. I have no clue who or what her character does...but I am betting she'll be a witch! I guess I'm just more excited to see a hero in his own time period doing what he does best - kicking butt. Maybe that is why I am put off by the idea of Thor returning to earth and becoming the champion for humans...he just doesn't belong here! Sure, we have the tree of Thor in our houses every year for Christmas, but I think this is crossing the line! Enjoy the trailer of a gorgeous Jason Momoa kicking butt!

Letting Loose

I was wondering today while I was at work - pondering men and women's tales of going out in search of themselves. In Eat, Pray, Love , Liz goes out to find herself and she basically becomes a "slut". Ok, she's not a total slut, but she does give it up more times than any man on a journey to find himself. Thoreau and his counter part, Christopher McCandless become celibate hermit like creators completely devoting themselves to nature and the natural self. Is it because women are considered prudes that in order to find ourselves we need sex and love and men just need a wide open field and some fish to fish and logs to chop? Why can't women find themselves without giving themselves over to another person?

Anyways, I will head into the relationships section of my Thursday version of self-discovery. I had an amazing time just hanging out with my Scotland roommates last weekend and witnessing some real love! It was so refreshing to see two people so happy to say "I want you, and you alone, forever." I guess I'll just have to keep waiting and hope that my love life doesn't turn into a Nicholas Sparks novel or a Steven King one! Yikes!



Health is an okay situation. I don't think I have lost any weight at all, but my legs are getting pretty buff. I noticed while dancing in heels this weekend just how ripped my upper legs have gotten from the stair master. I got about 3 miles in yesterday and then I had about a good 45 minutes in the pool tonight.

Career...well, my whole body hurts and my whole car smells like pig poop! I was not made out for an "Agricultural" job. The knuckles on my right hand are swollen and I don't think my shoulders are ever going to forgive me for this one month. It is kind of weird, but working out seems to make it hurt less. hmmmmm.

Well, I am in deep need of sleep! So night!

Wacky Wednesday

I ached all day long at work. Headache and stomach ache. Ugh! Things got better after lunch and I stopped listening to my audio book. Going to the gym after helped. I got in about 3 miles and lifted some weights and I felt so much better. Now, I am starting to ache again after watching a wonderful Criminal Minds.

I am absolutely drawing a mind blank on what to write tonight. My mind is a complete blank. I can tell you I have to be this weirdest library patron ever. Tonight I got a book on catching serial killers and then a book on make-up. I have children's books, movies, Criminal Minds series, and then crazy other books! I swear if someone looked at my library account they'd think I was a crazy person.

Sometimes I feel like I am losing intelligence. I have been out of college for a year and even though I have read more books and visited more museums and studied some pretty interesting things. I have always loved other languages but I am pretty much a dunce when it comes to learning them. I am actually pretty proud of my acquisition of French in 6 short months. I am beginning to ache at not being able to stretch my brain muscles. I long to do something academic. Isn't it weird that I waited such a long time to not have to write papers and now I miss it? I miss the intense rush of writing a paper. I think I might start writing a reading journal like my English teachers kept shoving down my throat and I would write the night before while watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I guess what it comes down to is that I just need to learn how to be me without the crutches I have had since I was 6.

Pin Curl

I like retro things - and so I really wanted to try out pin curls when they turned up in my trusty copy of Let's Bring Back by Lesley M.M. Blume.

I had to get some help from several youtube sites, but I found that LisaFreemontStreet was one of the best for explaining how to do pin curls. I had a long day inside since it was pouring rain in Paris...thus I had a lot of time on my hands to mess around with hair. I put my pin curls in after I showered and then waited and waited. I had a little bit of a hard time since I have clumsy man-hands and super fine hair (my hair confuses me because I apparently have lots of fine hair...and ideal, but I can never do anything with it!).

I got my hair up, wrapped it up, and set to waiting with a Sherlock Holmes book. I also skyped with my brother who has learned to just accept my quirky ways by now. After several hours and some FINALLY dry hair - I took out my bobby pins and carefully brushed out my curls. I have to be really careful since my hair doesn't like to hold the styles I attempt and my curls tend to fall to pieces quickly. I got them brushed out and styled them a bit...and voila!


(note the snow was an effect I added in my rain soaked boredom).

I really liked how it turned out and it wasn't actually all that hard to do. It was just the waiting for the hair to dry that was the long and arduous part. I think if I were to do this again I'd have to do it before I went to bed and then somehow avoid moving at all during the night. I could also fork over a boat load of money to get a salon style hair drying bonnet, but then again I don't always spend a lot of time on my hair!

Arabian Nights, like Arabian Days...are full of stories!

This week I read Arabian Nights (or at least selected stories from the Arabian Nights). It was pretty interesting - there were a whole lot of genies and interesting ties to other stories. I got the feeling that the tales had originally been translated by a Frenchman since it referenced the Muslims and Musulmans (the French word for Muslim).

One of the stories is of Sinbad and his 7 voyages. I was very interested by Sinbad's similarities to Odysseus (this makes me slightly curious about which came first). Sinbad had a very similar encounter with a cyclops. A big difference between Odysseus and Sinbad was that Sinbad would return home between his voyages. I wish I could luck into some of the stuff Sinbad did - he said he had suffered greatly, but from what I could tell - he was the Forest Gump of the Middle East (he just complained more about his "trials" that brought him immense wealth).

I also really liked the story of the three incredible gifts - golden water, a talking bird, and a singing tree. It was interesting that the girl was the only one clever enough to stop up her ears to make it past all the discouraging voices (hello again Odysseus reference). She seemed a little stubborn and spoiled about having to have those three gifts, even after her two brothers went and died in attempting to retrieve those luxuries for her. What struck me most about this story was that the King (the kids birth father) had believed that his wife had given birth to a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood! The kids aunts had sabotaged their sister's relationship with the queen by fabricating these lies and then setting the babies out into the stream (where they were discovered and adopted by the barren Gardener...a bit of a reverse Moses story).



Another story that I really enjoyed was that of the one Prince that was exiled (while still in the womb) and came back to his father's kingdom to bring glory to his name and his father's kingdom. He goes disguised to win the honor of his father and brothers and he just ends up inciting his brothers' envy and his father's respect and love (Joseph much). He defeats the evil "black vampire" that has kidnapped his brothers and wins the affection of one of the women he also rescued from the vampire. His brothers get pissed and attempt his murder. He gets rescued and comes back to save his father's kingdom as two of his father's enemies begin to converge upon the city. This wins him his father's kingdom and the ability to spare the lives of his jealous 49 brothers.

Of course there was Aladdin, who was actually much more of a punk that didn't deserve the things he did get. He was mean to his parents and a lazy boy who expected things to just be given to him. He gets misused by a black magician - I'm sensing a theme...who comes back to destroy his happiness after he has won his princess bride.

I can't forget about the 40 thieves. I really liked this story. It had another kick ass heroine. She not only single handily eliminated every one of the 40 thieves, but she out witted them too! She was just a slave, but she was smart and resourceful and that ended up winning her her freedom and the master's son in marriage.

I want to leave some for you to enjoy - so go out and get the book!!!

And yes, I did hear about Osama last night. I just didn't want to mention him in my happy posting. It is sort of interesting to see people saying that celebrating the death of even an enemy is sad; however, I think the world can smile a little bit more knowing the man that rejoiced in the deaths of thousands of innocents because he loved himself and Machiavelli (he would harm his own people if the ends beat the means).

Weddings Galore

I did not write at all Friday or make it up yesterday, because I was no where near a computer. I was busy celebrating the wedding of my Scotland roommate. It was a pretty amazing time and an absolutely lovely wedding. I am so happy for her and her husband!! It was a pretty wild weekend with some pretty crazy ladies, but then again my Scotland roomies are pretty crazy. We pitted the Wisconsinites against the Minnesotans in an epic battle...much like our roommate's wedding.

Other weddings that have happened - duh, the ROYAL WEDDING HAPPENED! I have to say, despite my deep love for everything royal...I woke up the day of the royal wedding with my Scotland roomie texting me to say my man was officially off the market and then I watched the balcony kisses while at the gym and then I worked the day away and spent the rest of the day driving to Green Bay. I do have to say - LOVED THE DRESS! I love the lace overlay. I always loved that look since my mother's wedding dress had a lace overlay. Now every dress with lace overlay for the next century is going to be extremely over priced...good thing I will most likely never get married! I thought it was a very beautiful and classy event. Go Wills! I am sure that your mother was looking down on the event and admiring the man that you have become and have yet to become. I'm positive she is so proud of both you and Harry!

To keep the romance theme going, the movie I am watching for today is A Walk to Remember. I have not watched or read the book in a really long time! The book is an amazing story - pretty much a very loosely linked relationship between the two, but a similar theme. I love this movie and Mandy Moore and Shane West are just perfect together and she is just beyond beautiful in this movie. The movie follows the lost, popular kid, Landon, who gets in trouble and has to pay his debt off to society by working in a number of different organizations - drama club, Saturday morning tutoring, etc. All of these things lead him to the path of Jamie. He needs the nerdy, religious, preacher's daughter to help him with his lines as he is made the lead of the school play. They fall in love.....and drama ensues as the trouble maker popular kid turns into a caring human being through his love of Jamie and the opening of his eyes to a different world. This movie is just a classic tear jerker as usual from Nicholas Sparks! Love, love, love it!