And the award goes to . . . . . . . .

Jakob! Yep. His work decided to hold a "film festival" of sorts and so for the past couple of weeks he has been working on the film and last friday night it all paid off. We went to his work party where they showed the films and then gave out some awards. Jakob received Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Picture. YAY! It was fun and Jakob's acceptance speech was short and sweet, consisting of something along the lines: "I'd like to thank Cybersource for allowing me to do something with my major and see you all on youtube". Jakob can tell you better what he said.

His group did amazingly well. In total, the film received:
~Best Actor in a Leading Role
~Best Actress in a Leading Role
~Best Director
~Best Picture

I'm proud of him. Yes, it wasn't a "real" film festival, but that doesn't matter. He still did great.

Not bad for a quick shoot and quick edit. Now, I'm just waiting for the raw footage so we can do another edit. =)

(I'll post some pictures when we have them)

Sick Notes

I received this from a professor a while back and decided it was time that I shared. All the spelling and grammar mistakes from the notes are left intact. It is from a Tennessee school district. If this is what the parents wrote, I'm scared to see the kids:


1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.

2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.

3. Dear school: please ecsc's john being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.

4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is administrating.

5. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

10. Please excuse ray friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

11. Please excuse pedro from being absent yesterday. He had (diahre, dyrea, direathe), the s***s. [note: words in ( )'s were crossed out] .

12. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak.

13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

14. Please excuse jimmy for being.It was his father's fault.

15. I kept billie home because she had to go christmas shopping because i don't know what size she wear.

16. Please excuse jennifer fo! R missing school yesterday. We
forgot to get the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it monday. We thought it was sunday.

17. Sally won't be in school a week from friday. We have to attend her funeral.

18. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the marines.

19. Ple ase excuse jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

20. Please excuse mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.

21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.

22. Please excuse brenda. She has been sick and under the doctor.

23. Maryann was absent december 11-16, because she had a fever,sore throat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick,fever an sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.


Oh boy. There are times that I wonder how in the world those people finished school . . . I sometimes think they didn't.

Great 12 Days of Christmas

This group is so fun. Here is Straight, No Chaser singing 12 Days of Christmas . . . their way:

Time for me to stay inside

It's snowing outside. Yep. Enough for it to accumulate on the ground. Enough for the snowplows to be out and about doing their thing. Yep. . . . . . I despise snow.

I have no problem if I can be inside and never have to go out while the retched stuff is on the ground, but that doesn't always happen. I have no problem looking out a window and seeing the stuff, but I don't like going outside in it. I have to be bundled up in my fur coat in order to even step outside (it's sheepskin). In my perfect little world, it would snow in the mountains and on the lawns of those who chose to have it, and possibly a light *very light* dusting on trees but it would leave sidewalks, roads and cars free of the stuff.

Yes, I do agree that it is pretty to look at . . . through a window. I've even gone horseback riding in the snow. That I can tolerate because I'm on a horse. Driving in the stuff is a pain. Walking in the stuff is a pain. Snow turns to slush, slush turns to ice, ice makes things slippery, slippery makes me fall. I am not graceful when it comes to snow.

Yes, the Earth does need her water and sleepy time, so I grumble and grumble, and stay inside. Now is the time of year where I like working on projects, drinking hot drinks, hate stepping out of a hot shower, sitting in front of a fire (if we had a place to do it).

Eh, *sigh*, here comes the snow . . . .

Christmas Around the World

This may turn out to be a long post--so bear with me--, and writing it may be hard for me, but I think it needs to be said.

My mom was given tickets to this years CAW and thought that I would be excited about it. Ever since I found out a few things about the folk program, the director, and looked back at the way I was treated, I haven't wanted to go to any of the concerts. My whole life has revolved--in one form or another--around dance and for me to have the feeling of "I don't want to go" I knew that I had been duped harder than I originally thought. But I still had a friend on the team and I wanted him to know that I support him and his efforts, so I went. I enjoyed a few of the numbers and I cheered for friend, but I don't look at it with the same eyes I used to. All in all, it was actually really hard for me to watch. Feelings and emotions that I had tried to just brush off and bury deep came back to punch me in the gut. I am proud of my friend for the hard work that he's put into it, so that is why I went.

But anyway, getting back to the show. Maybe talent has just gotten worse, or they aren't being as picky anymore, but I had a hard time watching some of those dances without biting my tongue to keep from laughing. Ugg! I almost fell asleep too, which was weird because I wasn't tired. But then again, it could have been the fact that I went to the saturday night show, which is the last one, so most people already have the feeling of "I'm done, get me out of here". Anyway, here are some short little breakdowns of what I thought--my opinion--of the dances.

Poland
It was an interesting way to start off the show. The singer was good and she was in tune! Yay! The suite was fun, some parts more than others, but when it came to the Oberek, it was messy, kind of sloppily done, and there was no energy coming off that stage. People were dancing, but not performing (yes, there is a difference).

India
This was a train-wreck from the beginning! I couldn't help but laugh--and be embarrassed for the dancers--through the entire number. They weren't on beat, the guys weren't getting into it, ugg! I love Bhangra style dancing because it is just so much fun. The energy, the music, you want to smile and enjoy the dancing. That wasn't what I was seeing. They all just looked out of place and again, dancing but not performing.

Mexico
Interesting, but sloppy. The girls handled the skirts well, but their turning ability wasn't all that well done. The guys, umm, no. One guy split his pants. I started laughing so hard and Jakob asked me why, so I pointed it out to him. That guy kept his hand behind his back, really low, in attempts to cover that up, but when you have a white shirt hanging out of black pants, it's just too obvious. Plus, they tried too hard with the machetes. Jakob had helped to re-shape and re-edge those because of all the chunks taken out of them. I don't think people understand that you aren't supposed to get sparks out of them. If you get sparks, that means you're taking a chunk out of the metal which is really dangerous if it hits your eye or gets in any-one's mouth. Plus they kept dropping them because it looked like they weren't throwing them right.

China
Pretty, but a bit slow. There wasn't much to look at either. I'm still on the fence about this one.

Canada
Turlutte was good. The guys were in time and in tune; always a plus. Refabrique au Quebec is great! I learned it when Gary was teaching it the first time in the 500 level class. It is a blast to perform and the little skit that they do with it is cute.

Mountain Strings
Ugg. That was my first impression of Oy Chanukah. It was so much better when the girl wouldn't sing. You couldn't understand her; no it isn't because she was singing in a different language, it was because the way she was "singing" into the mic and the way the levels were, it came out as gobbledygook. Much much better when it was just the instruments playing. It was a fun song, but it just didn't work with the girl singing.

Israel
This is a fun dance, but maybe because I've seen it year after year, I've become immune to it. The girl who did the solo at the beginning and then the solo in the middle didn't have the height on the leap or the spinning ability I've seen from other people who have done that part. Again, it seemed like people were just dancing, not performing. But at least it was together and on beat and upbeat.

Scotland
I was on a team with one of the soloists, so it was fun to see her still doing her highland fling thing. The triplet was fun to watch and the music matched the mood. The girls looked like they were having fun and I've done highland dancing before and it is tough on your legs, but the girls kept smiling and performed.

Men's Chorus
That was a fun addition. They are entertaining to watch and they sound great! Plus, they get so into their performance, that when they came out to dance during the Wales number, that was just fun. Yes, it seemed like some of them were still muddling through the steps, but at least they had a smile on their face and the girls did a good job of pulling them through. It was fun to watch and listen too. Also gave a bit of a break from some of the dancing.

Wales
I liked it, I really did. The mash-up with Men's Chorus was fun and this was one dance where it looked like everyone was dancing and performing. I liked the costumes as well. Overall, fun and well done.

Ireland
Mountain Strings was a bit distracting, and when the dancers finally did come on, someone kicked the mic, they weren't on beat (for the first part) and it just looked like they didn't want to be doing this. The soft shoe wasn't up to what I've seen it, but it was okay. The guys solo was good, but there needs to be more power from certain people. When the whole group started dancing, it got a bit messy with people kind of throwing their feet around, but at least it stayed with the music.

Armenia
Pretty, but the music does start getting a little bothersome after a while and even my younger brother asked me if they were just repeating the same phrase over and over and over again. Nice catch there bro.

Turkey
I like it. It starts out slow and methodical, then all of a sudden livens up and gets loud and fast. Just what you need to perk yourself back up. Plus, if you know some background on the style of dancing, you can see what the movements are trying to emulate and you hear it at well because of the coins and jewelry that are on the costumes. Plus the costumes are just so bright and fun; at least for the girls they are. When the guys came out, both my brother and Jakob said "Hey look! Pirates!" and I just had to laugh.

United States
The western line dance was fun and at least the team was together, on beat, and really seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Good job David and Lyndsey with the solo. The clogging number was fun, but I miss the power that it used to have. Some of the solos were good, a couple more than others, but overall fun and a crowd pleaser. When it comes to this year's mountain strings, they need to stick to playing and not singing.

Romania
Fun, but again, not a lot of energy coming off the stage. It was funny when the girl lost her overskirt and had to finish the dance in just her chemise. This dance needs power with the stomping when you're performing it in a large venue such as the Marriott Center.

Philippines
I loved the Dance of the Lights at the beginning. It was beautiful, smooth, and performed well. The Tinikling, umm, not so much. You could see in their faces and body language that some of the dancers were still afraid of getting their foot snapped between the poles. I had to bite the inside of my cheeks during the last half of the dance because one pair of girls just kept falling over; no matter what they did they couldn't keep their feet under them.

Ukraine
I'm happy they brought back the duet at the beginning, that has always been my favorite. You need a good pair of dancers/actors in order to pull it off and I think the guy did a great job. The girl needs more facial expressions and both need bigger movements, but it was still fun to watch. I was so happy that Hopak was brought back! It is a great way to end the show and a popular dance with the audience. Well done.

Overall, a nice way to spend a hour and some. There were some things that I would really change, but for a show that is normally pulled together in about a month, good job.

Well done my friend, well done.

Caveat Emptor

Or in plain terms "let the buyer beware". I had the t.v. going a couple mornings ago while I was getting ready to go to work and a report came on about "scanner switches" in retail. It said that many stores, in an attempt to get people to buy more, are leaving up old sale signs (after the sale has expired or finished) and people are falling for it. They see that an item is on sale for a great price, but don't look at the fine print. By the time they get up to the register and have everything scanned, the original price is what rang up. Many people don't catch that, or the retailers are beginning to have another sneaky way of not letting you see the prices. Usually, the register monitor is turned--or they have another one turned toward you--so you can see the scanned price; now, many retailers don't have that and you don't know what the price is until the final tally or until you see your receipt. When you point out the error, many retailers are willing to refund the price, but others don't, (or won't) because it is "up to the consumer to know the price of the object they are buying".

I decided to try this out myself. Now, I won't pay full price for something when I know that I can find it at a better price someplace else, or I know that it will be going on sale soon, so with all the sales that have been happening, I've been finding some pretty good deals. I was in a store in the mall (which tend to hike up prices unless you know what to look for) and I saw something that caught my eye, a bogo sale (buy 1 get 1 free). I love sales like this because if you do it correctly, you can save a bunch of money. So I started looking through items and as with all bogo sales, you pay for the most expensive items and get the least expensive free, so it is always a good idea to get an equal amount of items and try to make sure they are all around the same price (you'll get a better deal that way). I found a few tops and a skirt that I wanted and went up to the register. I asked if the bogo sale was still current and he said yes, so I told him I found everything on those racks. The guy started ringing everything up and this is one of the stores that the monitor is turned away from you, but I could the computer screen that they had under the desk and I noticed that a few of the items were ringing up their normal price, so I asked him again. He looked at me and then realized that I could see the monitor and said that yes, they were all on sale, but he couldn't fix anything until he had scanned all my items. He finished and I thought he would do as he said, but he just pressed the final price button and told me my total. I thought that was a bit high, because I had written down and figured out about what my total should have been. I told him this and he looked down and then fixed everything. He didn't look happy that I had caught him. The lady behind me was getting impatient, but I wanted to see this through. When he was finalizing everything for me, I took a peek at what the lady behind me had and I saw that she had the same couple tops I had bought that had scanned in wrong. I didn't say anything, got my bag and stepped to the side so I could wait for my friend. She didn't notice that her final price was wrong and just paid it. They guy behind the counter just kept smiling and said that she had gotten a wonderful deal.

A couple stores later, I saw the same lady and I decided to ask her if she had noticed that her final price back in _____ was higher than she expected. She said no, that she had gotten the same deal I had. I told her I wasn't trying to discredit her, but I asked if I could see her receipt and compare it to mine. She was a little hesitant, but did it and I showed her that while she did get the bogo deal, she didn't get the marked down price that was on the tag . . . she paid full price. She didn't believe me and I pointed it out to her again. She then said "eh, whats a few more dollars anyway" and walked away.

Now, normally I don't do things like this, but in this economy, you really need to be on the lookout for phony sales and sale gimmicks. Some stores will hike up the price of the item, only to put it at 40% off which normally brings it right back down to the retail price. They aren't losing any money, you're actually just being duped into paying normal price. Also, you need to at least glance at the fine print on sale flyers and coupons. Many are now restricting what can be purchased with that coupon or at what times the sale will actually end.

Another problem that has been popping up lately is many products are shrinking in size, but the price is staying the same.  Before, you could buy half a gallon of ice cream for a couple of bucks, now it is just 1.5 quarts for a little bit more than the half gallon.  Bags of chips are getting smaller, loafs of bread, and even candy bars (like cadbury) are shrinking.

Don't be duped! Be on the lookout.

Caveat Emptor! Caveat Emptor!

Cute Cougar Video

Since our trip to Seattle, Jakob has been asking me to post this video.  We were walking around in the afternoon at one of the wilderness "parks" and I really wanted to see the big cats, but you know cats: when you want to see them, they are sun bathing or hiding.  Well, as it became closer for us to leave, I decided to try once again and yes! I was rewarded . . . and even got serenaded.  The Cougar is a young one, so it wasn't all the fierce, but I still had the biggest smile on my face. 

Here kitty, kitty, kitty . . .

Updates!

I finally was able to get a good connection while not at work, so I can update everyone about what it going on around here.  Most people who read this see me rather regularly, so you may be rereading some of this stuff.

Life has been kind of busy lately, but isn't it always.  I think that is what makes life so fun.  I've got work most of the time, but that only last part of the day, the rest of the time it is me trying to continue developing my craft.  I've taken up a new skill, or am trying to take up a new skill.  I thought it was time enough for me to learn how to sketch free hand.  Usually I just sketch enough for me to figure out what I'm doing, but more of the time I just go for it because it is in my head and I haven't had to communicate it to anyone else.  But with certain possibilities on the horizon, I thought it was time for me to learn to sketch so others could understand where I'm coming from.  Boy has this been rough.  I learned how to sketch on the computer originally and since I'm pretty computer based, I haven't thought much about doing it free hand.  Now, I've been trying.  I grabbed all my drafting supplies out of their dusty drawer and bought a few books and have been reading them and trying to learn . . . but I haven't done as well as what I see in my head.

Its frustrating to me.  I see something in my head, but trying to translate that down through my hand to the paper has proven to be getting the better of me lately.  Oh, I'm still trying, but it is going slowly.  I've gotten to the point that I copy or trace the figures out of the book and then work on sketching my costume/clothing ideas on top of that.  Is that cheating?  I don't think so, I think it is more of using your resources.  I haven't given up trying to draw figures free hand, but I thought that this would be a good way of starting out.

Jakob has been working of a short film for work.  Its fun to talk to him about it when he gets home.  I guess we've worked on a few projects together that he has gotten used to the way that I edit and do post work that he came home one day and after I asked him how the editing was going, he chuckled and said "well, they certainly aren't you when it comes to stuff like this".  I had to laugh.  I made a silly comment, something along the lines of "I could probably pull something together quickly if you got me the tapes" and Jakob said that if he could, he would.  Eh, we'll see where that leads.  We've got his work party next friday and that is where these films are going to be shown.  The invitation came and it said on the bottom "dress for the red carpet".  We both had to laugh and wonder if they really meant that, but I think we're going to do it anyway.  We'll see what I can pull together in time.  I may have to dig out one of my old dresses and alter it somehow, plus I've got to find Jakob a suit/tux top that would work out better than just some normal suit.  Here I go a bargain shopping.

My family is torn about what to do tonight: either go up to SLC and watch the basketball game or go to Christmas Around the World.  We've got tickets to both.  I'm perplexed.  I'd rather watch the basketball game, but I've still got some friends and people that I know on the folk team, so I'd like to go support them.  Eh, I'll make some decision before this afternoon.

Jakob is working on a show at BYU.  I agreed to all the theatre/film stuff when I married him, so I can't complain too much . . .  :p  Naw, I think this is really good for his resumes and he has fun doing it.

We're still house hunting, but at least it is nice to know that our landlady is willing to go on a month to month basis.  We've been renting with her for a while now, so I think she's happy to have us around.  At least her apartment isn't empty.

Well, after we figure out what we're doing, I'll make sure to take some pictures.

What I do to tame my hair . . .

So my hair has been really unruly lately, so I decided to put it back up on rollers and see if I can tame it. A bit, but not much. But it did have some interesting pictures.



Yep, it was entertaining to put on and with how long my hair is, it took a while.  But at least it stopped knotting up.

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Huzzah, a day of no school, lots of food, movies, games, and me playing with my cat. I was actually able to keep down some food, so I'm happy about that, and now that there is leftovers, I can make sure that I get my fill of food. I can't eat as much as I used to, but at least things are staying down.

This year we decided to only do half a turkey--just the turkey breast--and that was great for the 5 of us. It cooked faster and wasn't dry--which is one reason I usually don't like too much turkey. Mashed and sweet potatoes of course along with veggies, stuffing, rice, fruit, bubbly, guarana, pie, and pomegranate juice. Yummy. I love potatoes, so I was happy. This was also the first time that we made mashed potatoes without our stand mixer. We did it the old manual way, but the potatoes were really well cooked, so they mashed easily, plus we have a 'secret' way of making them. . . . . . . . .

Now, it's time for a nap.

Things come in pairs

If it isn't migraines . . . it's food poisoning.

Headaches

Just a quick update considering I can't really think straight. I have been having a intense one-sided headache for the past week. No, it hasn't gone away yet and I am beginning to worry a bit (and I'm really not a worrier). I have been to my doctor and he gave me something but that only makes it go away for 5 or 6 hours then it's back in full force. Anyone have any good suggestions?

anyway, back to the ice packs

Nerd Alert!

Okay, so I as I was finishing up the hand sewing part of my gown, I had smallville going on and I totally started jumping up and down when I saw the last scene. I have been waiting for this, although it could mean that they are trying to stop the show, THEY PUT THE SUIT IN THE SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and one of the tag lines "faster than a speeding bullet". YAY! And Lois announced her "quest" to find who this superdude is.









Now just to see Tom in the costume. . . . hmmmmmm

amazing family and amazing video . . .

Okay, I usually don't get emotional when it comes to watching videos, but I saw this and I got very misty eyed.  It is very well done and just amazing.  I wanted to share it with everyone because it kind of teaches each of us something.  To me it resays something that I try to live by: live every day to the fullest and enjoy the time and ride.

I fixed up my costume/armory room!

I know that doesn't sound like a big accomplishment to many of you, but it is one of my usual downfalls. I keep things clean and put away, but they aren't always organized to the point that I can say to someone where it is and they can find it. But when it comes to my costume/armory room, that really needs to be organized otherwise I can't find my books, patterns, papers, tools, pictures, etc. . . . . and then I get frustrated. So, yesterday, I was able to convince Jakob to help me move some stuff around and go get a few bit plastic cases. Where used to be a wall of fabric, it is now neatly stacked in 4 cases. YAY! I had forgotten what I had bought and now I can see everything.

I am such a bargain hunter. If I don't have to pay "listed price" for something, then I won't. I was amazed with the price that I got for the cases and for all the fabric.

This used to be all on the floor in boxes or on that small desk off to the side and those three large cases are filled with fabric. Those used to be on those bolts below plus a few folded in really big bags. I'm happy that they are off the floor now.


There is about 16 or 17 there and each had about 5 yards or more. I can't believe the deal that I got!

This is a "patio" table that was on sale as a last remaining item. It works perfect! And I was amazed that it fit in the room, is sturdy, and looks great too!

This is my greatest find! Large mirrors are so expensive so I thought I'd never be able to have one. I was looking through a store in the mall and saw a sale on mirrors so I thought I'd take a look. This one was affordable, but I didn't think I could get it right now. I looked at a mirror behind the one in front and saw that the corners were chipped and some of the paint was scratched. I talked to the lady and she said she would take 30% more off the sale price. So I bought it, fixed the corners with a little putty, repainted it and now it is great! (also makes a great cover for a closet that doesn't have a door).

My craft room is a small room, so I got excited when I was able to see the floor again! (not that I couldn't see it before, but I can see more of it now!) And I have room to work in that room with the gown that I'm working on.

Yay!

City of Ember

SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW . . . . . . .

So Jakob, my brother, and I all went to see City of Ember. It actually is a good family film. There isn't any language in it and cinematicly, it is shot rather well. The costumes are rich and seem to fit right in with the set design. They seem to be all woven materials, so they have that richness and texture that looks great on film. Tim Robbins doesn't play a believeable father figure, but he fits right in with the rest of the adults in the film. Martin Landau is great! He fits in well with the main kids and I'm just happy that Bill Murry gets eaten. The youngest girl is cute, but it seems like she was just an after thought because there isn't much she does, doesn't really have a place in the movie. More of an "awe, cute".

A few downfalls of the movie:
~You expect more of a cover-up with the Mayors of Ember as to why the people are down in the city, but there really isn't a cover-up and it is more like things just got lost.

~Why and how were things lost? If one of the Mayors had died suddenly, why didn't the new Mayor get anything?

~They really don't explain why people are down in Ember. Perhaps that is explained in the book, but they seem to leave that out of the film. (my explaination is that the Earth got to a point that it couldn't sustain itself and the people, so someone sent everyone to live beneath the ground to the land above could replair itself.)

~ Are there more cities like Ember or is it the only city of it's kind. It seems like they had a form of population control if they've been down there for only 200 years. There weren't a lot of people; at least not what you would think of people in isolation.

Mostly, it has some great moments, little CGI work, and rather strong acting from the kids. If I would be rating it with stars, it would be about a 3 out of 4. I would say go see it. Oh, and be careful with the mole. . . . . . . .

It's only October. . . . . .

Do stores forget about a couple of holidays before Christmas? I had to do a run into Target for a costume piece for the film I am working on and I saw Christmas decorations up!

It really gets my goat (if I had one) that retailers start putting up Christmas decorations before Halloween and even before Thanksgiving. I love Halloween (it is one of my favorite holidays) and I still dress up (probably has to do with the fact that I'm a costume designer and can't get enough of costumes and clothing). While I don't trick-or-treat anymore, my friends and I still get together and do stuff. I need to find some of the pictures from the last few Halloweens.

But, on to what I've been up to. For the past two weeks I've been working on a film as the assistant wardrobe person. It is called "Once Upon a Summer" and should be out in theaters some time next year. I'm excited to see my name up there in the credits! I also want to see how the clothes look on the really big screen. I've seen how they look on the actors and how they look on the small monitor, but not on the really big screen, so I can't wait. It is a really great story and it has some people that most Utahn's will recognize because, I think, the entire cast is local. But I want to see how the whole movie looks.

I've also been working on a gown for myself. I've been working on a Musketeer costume for Jakob and I've run into a bit of a snag for that, so I wanted to do something for myself. I haven't been able to do something for me for a while, so I decided I was going to. It was kind of depressing when I remeasured myself to set my dress form and saw that my measurements have gone up. Time to start working out again. This is what happens when I'm not dancing many hours a day/week. Eh, I'm happy so that counts right?

Jakob landed a commercial. I'm excited. The commercial is directed by Ryan Little, the same guy who did Saints and Soldiers. I might stop by set next week and take pictures of Jakob in his costume.

As soon as I've charged up my camera, I'll post some pictures of the fabric and some of the stuff that I've finished this year.

I'm alive

Yes, I'm alive, but tired and fighting an big ear ache plus migraine, I'll post when i can see straight. . . . .

Vote for Cosmo!

Hey all, don't forget to vote for Cosmo in the Capital One Bowl Mascot Challenge! You can vote every day.

I don't agree with the winner

My opinion follows. . . . sorry if it comes out as ranting.

Okay, so the final of America's Got Talent just aired and I DO NOT agree with the winner. Neal Boyd is the one who won. Sorry if that just spoiled it for you. I'm not happy . . . as you can possibly tell. Nothin' But Stringz should have been the winners, either them or Eli. While Neal can sing opera, his delivery and diction isn't that strong. He can't sustain notes in upper registers. I also think that he can't carry a full Vegas show. Eli or Stringz can carry a show because they have a bunch of different styles and can captivate and draw in an audience. Neal is almost a small public audience . . . meaning not too many people can stand an hour or more of opera. I know that he tried another genre, but his voice is just operatic.

Eli is just so original. I've never heard a voice like his and his emotion while singing is just so passionate that you can't help but be drawn in. I hope he gets a recording contract because I really want his CD.

Nothin' But Stringz is amazing! They are unique. I don't believe anyone has seen anything like what they do. Isn't the show supposed to find America's newest talent? They should be it. It is great for those who play the violin (like I used to) that they aren't just stuck with classical or fiddle music. They could expand their knowledge. Those boys are passionate and I hope they get something out of this because they really deserve it. Maybe a recording contract because I would love a CD.

Ohh, I have a good idea: how about a show with Eli and Nothin' But Stringz? They could really bring in a diverse and fun crowd. They are both crowd pleasers and they perform their talent with such passion that you can't help but smile, and be drawn in.

But Eli and Stringz, you guys are winners in my opinion. Don't give up.

(of course I was rooting for Extreme Dance FX because I know some of those people and I used to compete against them, plus they are helping getting clogging out there, in the spotlight and showing that we aren't a bunch of backwater dancers)

=)

More Seattle Stuff

Okay, so I finally found the card that had my pictures from our Seattle trip on them, so here are a few more. Something funny I need to add, is that I have more animal pictures from that trip than I have of Jakob and I or Jakob and his family. I really like animals I guess. Either that or it's easier to get them to be in front of the camera. Yes, there are a few pictures of me in here too. I'm not that illusive. . . . . . . . . .or am I. hmmmmmmmm





View from the Space Needle

A silhouette of us and the space needle. It was too sunny out for anything other than something like this, but I think it turned out kind of fun.

Water falls! I love them!

More riverside pictures. I'll spare you all the scenery pictures I took. Maybe another time I'll post a few. I really like taking pictures of nature.

And riverbanks are beautiful.


Funny little idea a friend told me to do if I ever took a picture in front of a waterfall.

This is a stump driftwood that was on the edge of the river. I took a couple of scenery shots and Jakob asked me to sit on it. It turned out pretty good. (and i don't photograph well)

Pikes Market!! I could have stayed there all day looking at all the different shops.


I was happy after we went to the zoo and I got to see the tiger. Yay!

We went to the Museum of Glass. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, but this was a fun sculpture on the outside of the building.

Wilderness trek. Jakob wanted a picture of the two of us.


Really cool tree growing out of a old stump.


More riverbank. Pretty huh?

Whats been happening . . . .

I've been such a slacker when it comes to updating the blog, but I have a semi-good reason. They block blogspot at work, so I end up typing what I'm going to say into google docs and then I don't have a reliable internet at home, so I never know when I can actually update everything. So, this may turn out to be a long post. But I'm hoping to break it up with some pictures!

Life has been interesting lately, but when is it every boring. Jakob just finished with his show. He was great as the 80 year old Shallow in Merry Wives of Windsor. I'm making a portfolio reel for him with that part. He was just too funny. If anyone could hold attention on stage, it was Jakob. Not to be critical about the casting, but now that the show is over . . . I didn't agree with a lot of it. There were too many that didn't hold my attention as the character because they didn't change anything. From the minute they stepped on stage, it was almost as if their character was a flat as some of the scenery. Their face didn't change and the voice rarely had any inflection. They just weren't fun to watch. There there were the other people who made you watch them because of the way they carried themselves or the way that their face and voice changed to meet the scene. I know that it is a form of "community theatre" so you have to use what they give, but with BYU being right here, I can't believe that they can't find any other people (better actors) to fill the roles. No, I don't think I'm being biasis because Jakob and a few friends were in the show. I'm looking at this as a theatre goer and giving my honest opinion. Yes, even Jakob at times had to overdo it to make up for the lack on stage. There were times that I found myself looking at what was going on behind the main characters because two of them couldn't hold my attention. It just wasn't easy to watch. Their lines seemed forced and there wasn't any flow to their lines or character. But I filmed it and took some pictures, along with a few othe people who took pictures. I'm thinking theirs turned out better because my camera was giving me a hissy fit! Grrrr, sometimes I wish I would grab my film camera instead of my digital one.

Here are some quick pictures of Jakob. I'll post more of the entire cast later.

Funny old man, huh? ;)

I've been making musketeer costume mock-ups. They have certainly been entertaining. I'm using a stretch velvet and as much as I love the look it gives off, I HATE sewing it. Luckly my newspaper trick works and it isn't too much of a pain and these are the times that I absolutely adore my serger! Now, all I have to do is save up for a embrodiery machine and I'm set. The boys have been enjoying the finished product though. As soon as I get some pictures with Jakob or Adam wearing it, I'll post them. I do know that I'm going to try a version with a bit longer sleeve. I like the way the shorter sleeve that I drafted looks, but I want to see how the longer sleeve will effect the whole look. And I still haven't decided if I'm going to put the signia on the sleeves (I need to redraft it because I don't like how it came out. This is where an embrodiery machine would come in handy).

Work has been moving along. I'm starting to fall into a routine (which I hate) but at least I have time to read or write or just do what I want at work. As long as the computer carts are delivered on time, the network is up and running, and I don't have to be in a classroom, I'm allowed to do what I want to do. Oh, and if anyone is looking for a job like mine, I think there are a few openings coming soon in the provo school district. You just need to have a knowledge of computers and computer programs plus a bit of networking and you have to be able to function in a classroom setting.

We're thinking about moving, well I guess it's more like me thinking about moving because the apartment that we're living in right now is falling apart and we don't have enough income right now to afford a home. The land lady is nice and finally fixed the roof, but the plaster and paint on the ceiling is beginning to fall off--in chunks! So, I've been looking around at apartments in the Provo/Orem/Lindon area and is it just me or are the majority of the apartments small and overly priced for the sq footage and the state of some of the apartments are appalling. Eh, I'm thinking that we may be where we are for the next 6 months or so until the income actually starts stabilizing and we can jump on the housing market. But who knows, maybe by then the market will have jumped and we'll have to stay with that apartment. Eh, at least I'm looking around.

I was able to see parts of World of Dance this weekend. Well done Thomas! I really miss doing all that stuff. I was happy for a few of my friends who I saw up there, but I was angry and disappointed at a few other things and then I just became depressed when it dawned on me (once again) that I will probably never do that again unless I started my own studio. I've been wanting to get back into the clogging arena for a while now and it seems that most of the teams within the area either aren't taking new people or I don't hear back from them, or I would be put onto an "adult" team and I don't know how much I like that title because if the "adult" team is anything like when I was competing, I don't know if I want to do that. . . . those were the teams that were difficult to watch. Eh, I'll keep trying around. Maybe I can hook up with someone and get a duet or something going.

But, I'm just happy that it rained today.

Stupid meetings. . . . .

WARNING: I'M GOING TO GRIPE

I know that meetings are sometimes necessary and when you go into a new job they think that you don't know what is going on, but recently I've had to sit through some really annoying meetings. I have a secondary technology teaching license . . . I'm pretty sure that I know how to use most programs that are available through school district, I shouldn't have to sit through annoying useless meetings. Okay, let me give you an example: I went to my meeting today and was fairly open minded because they were (supposed) to talk about YPP and I haven't had too much exposure to that. He talked for 20 minutes about how to use a mac and what computers are available in the schools and then he started complaining about how some teachers have asked to use open office instead of switching to another word processing program. Well, open office is free it works closely like word and the office suite. But it is free. Eh, I guess they need to do what they think is correct. Then after I asked about what was really on the agenda, he got huffy. Luckily enough the board went out at that time and he spent the next 5 minutes trying to get it to work again. We all could see what he needed to do to get the board working again, but we kept our mouths shut and let him grumble until he finally got it up and running. For about 10 minutes he actually had something worth listening to because he talked about server access and the registration codes for each of the schools. Then it was back to showing up how to use the mac. Needless to say . . . I took a nap.

Eh. I just hate meetings . . . especially when they are meaningless for me.

Alternate Blog to read. . . because it's worth it

I'm having fun on a different Blog I had to create for a class I'm taking. Check it out:

http://jakobticeedpsych.blogspot.com/

Stuff

Normally I'm not a very big football watcher. Depends on the teams playing. Since I married into a football watching family, it's been kind of interesting. Jakob is pretty adamant about watching BYU football, so last saturday we went over to my parents to watch the BYU vs Washington game. I almost feel asleep watching it. I had to start snacking in order to stay awake (there went my diet). But for the first couple quarters, the game was fun to watch and even funnier to listen to Jakob watching it. Oh, don't get me wrong, I had my moments there too, but mostly I was complaining about how the referees were treating the BYU team. I don't believe that the refs couldn't see any of the holding that was going on with Washington. When it comes to that ending few seconds, I still think that they finally got it right, at least when it comes to the call against Washington. Throwing the ball up and over your head is the same thing as throwing the ball to the ground. It should be called as unsportsmanlike. I realize that after all that work you'd like to celebrate, but there is a rule about excessive celebrating in the endzone. That was the right call. BYU blocked the point after attempt beautifully! I don't think the kicker realized what was happening until he actually looked up. The minute the ball was snapped, it had no chance of moving beyond that line. BYU did make a mistake by leaping off the bench after the blocked kick because they should know that the clock doesn't start on the point after attempt, it didn't make any difference when Washington kicked the ball again because they weren't going to go anywhere.

One thing that really bugged me was the TV commentators. I know that most people think that the mountain west isn't a good conference and that we don't compare to the big leagues, but we've shown that we are just as tough as those other guys. According to an article I read on byucougars.com "Saturday’s victory over Washington marked the second straight win over a Pac-10 opponent, dating back to a 17-16 win over UCLA in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. BYU has won of its last five games against teams from the Pac-10." Doesn't that mean anything? I know that ESPN has an issue with the mountain west because they started their own television network to show the games, but I'd rather watch it from our network because the commentators for our network have done their research and they know the team well and don't give stupid comments or uneducated comments.

But getting off of football, life has been moving along. Jakob's show is almost finished (one more week) and he started his class today. UVU is under fire for not accepting many credits from other universities. Apparently the other universities in the state are taking them to the Utah Board of Education because of it. UVU thinks that they can now be "snobbish" and not accept other credits because in the past, many of the other universitiess didn't accempt credits from UVSC. Well, there was a good reason for that: the classes at UVSC didn't meet the standards that other universities had set up for specific programs (and we're talking about credits from specific programs only). Now that they are a so called "4-year university" they have to be in line with the other universities and their program standards. This should be interesting.

As for me, life has gotten itself into a routine. It seems that when I finish with work and go home, I don't have any energy to do anything else other than sit. There are times that I really don't do much at work; I end up reading or watching old TV programs on the net while computers are reimaging, or when my supervisor isn't around, I have fun dancing (I have a big space with a cement floor, so I can get my sounds out and I have room to move). So I don't know why there isn't any energy left to do what I really like to do after work. Jakob wants me to finish up his musketeer costume (he's been on a musketeer kick since he started writing his screenplay) so I've been doing a lot of research. I've also been trying to figure out what it is that I want to do for myself because now I have a dressform and can fit things to me! I've been thinking of doing a southern bell gown or a couple of other movie costumes. Eh, hard decision, but at least I have time to do some image research.

Cheers!

weird thoughts . . .

I've had the weirdest thoughts lately; weird meaning strange. I've been out of the real dance scene for a couple years now, and as I was walking down center street the other day I saw a building off to the side and the first thought that came to my mind was how cool it would be to have a studio in that building. I have no idea where that thought came from, but when I actually think about it, I've been wanting to have my own studio for a while--its just finding out how to start that is holding me back. I'm thinking that if I can get other people to join me in this, I might have a chance to get this studio to float. I know that Jakob and a few of his friends would love a spot to practice their stage combat stuff, and if I have a genres of dance in the studio, I think that it would be a bigger selling point.

I guess I have too many ideas running thought my head right now because coupled in with the though about starting a studio, I've wanted to continue with my costuming stuff. I guess being married to someone who is in the performing arts, I'll always have those ideas running around. There is an old reception center (that looks like an old church) that is for sale and if I could get funding for it, I would turn it into a performing arts center. Possibly have classes offered in acting, stage/film combat, and dance. Then I would also have an area to house costumes and a studio area to produce them. Also an area to do the film transfers and film work that I did at BYU and wanted to start my own business doing. I know, I never think in small things, and I need to start small, but I'm sure that I would have people who would be willing to work with me to make this work.

Yep, I've got some strange thoughts running through my head, but I guess a dream has to start somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to quit my day job without have some type of financial back-up. A dream may come to reality, but a back-up plan is needed in case the dream tanks. I'm also thinking that now isn't the best time to be starting something like this because of the way the economy is. I mean, the big stores can't get people to come in and spend money; how is a little business going to survive. Eh, I guess its just something that will have to though out for a while.

But today at work was disgusting! Word of the wise: don't ever use a computer without gloves if the previous user was a kid. UGGG! It was gross! I had to update and clean the mobil labs that we have. I was able to do one cart (about 30 computers) today, but along with updating them, I had to disinfect and clean them. I have never seen more dirty, disgusting computers ever! I had to wear gloves and a mask while I was cleaning them because of all the stuff that was coming off them. Did you know that some lab tests show that your computer keyboard has more germs on it than your bathroom? Gross huh?

A new dawn, a new day

Well, it is the start of a new week and not much has happened since the last time that I actually wrote. I guess with life just kicking into gear, I really don't have a summer anymore--which is fine with me, since I really need to have a paycheck coming in.

The job is going good. It is nice to be able to say that I have money coming in at the end of the month. It isn't that much different from what I did at BYU, which is great. It means I have more time to write my book and edit a couple scripts. If I remember, I'll even write on the blog--believe it or not! I primarily just stay in my office until someone needs something or until I get a call about some computer systems. it is weird being back in my old elementary school. I don't remember much from elementary--well, I really don't remember much before age 12 or 13. But I went back over my old school pictures and talked with my mom and found out that a few of the teachers that were here when I was are still here. They of course don't recognize me (thank goodness!) but I haven't said anything to them either. They've had so many student in the past 10 or so years that I don't think they would remember me. Although I did have one of the teachers ask if I knew the Zanandrea over at BYU and I said that I did, but I didn't say that I was related to her. I'm enjoying it so far. We'll see if I end up staying around for the year. I think that once Timp Elementary opens up, they may need a tech person over there and if I have the opportunity to go over there, I may take it. It is a bit closer to where I live--which would be great because of the price that gas is going to get when the winter comes around.

Jakob is having fun in his show. He said that it is interesting to see people that he knows in the audience but most of the time they don't recognize him because he plays a man that is over 80 years old. I think the costume I made turned out good. I know that he wasn't too happy with the fact that I put Velcro on it instead of making the buttons workable. I didn't have time to do the buttonholes correctly. Now that the show is moving, I may have time to redo it and put buttonholes in. I know that he wants to use the costume for our next film project, so I'll have to change it over to loops or buttonholes eventually. I had a hard time with the pants. Since it was such a rush job, we decided to go over to the local thrift store and find a pair of pants that fit him really well and that fit the time period closely. Luckily we found a pair that fits rather well and they looked really good on him. So we bought them and after we got home and I started sizing them did I notice the brand and I about cried when I had to cut them! They are designer from Italy! No wonder they fit him so well and felt like good quality! I feel like such a dork to not look at the brand when we were at the store. Those would have been perfect dress pants and I cut them! Arg! I blame Jakob for that. . . . . . . he made me. ;p

I'll be posting some more pictures later about our trip to Seattle and some other stuff that we've been doing.

Jakob is excited about the start of BYU Football, and the fact that we're working with the Varsity Club again. It is funny to see his reaction now as to the first time that I went to a football game and invited him to our tailgate. The first time when he saw some of the older athletes coming in and talking to my mom or the coaches coming over and giving me a hug, his jaw used to just drop, but now its fun to see his eyes light up with some of the people that come in, but now that we've been doing it for a few years, he seems to just take everything in stride. It'll be funny to see Jakob's brother's reaction. Since he's now in the state, we were able to find a pass for him to be able to come down and watch the game, but in order to get the pass he has to work for it. It isn't anything hard, but I'm going to laugh if he gets star-struck by some of the athletes that are coming in. I guess I'll just put him on ticket detail. It's also great considering that we are having fun with the people that are catering and I'm going to see if I'll bring my camera this time and take some pictures. My mom has a parking pass, so I think I can just drop it in the car afterwards, or take it in and take some fun pictures. (Of course, none with me in them).

Do the happy dance!

WOOT!!!!! I am so excited!

I got a job! I am so happy you all have no idea! I have been worrying about what I was going to do once I finished with graduation (which happened on the 15th, pictures--eek!--will be coming later) and I was pointed in the Provo School District website. There happened to be a technology support position open at one of the elementary schools. The weird thing is it is the elementary school that I went to. So I applied, got an interview, and the later last night he called me and said he'd like to offer me the job! I was at Jakob's show and when my phone started going off, I ran out of the show because I didn't recognize the number, so I assumed that it was the guy I had interviewed with and it was! I had to try and contain my excitement in case I didn't get the job but he said that he was really impressed with me and he wanted to offer the job starting today! But, I have to wait until he calls to let me know what I need to do because he's not sure if I can just jump into the schools without some paperwork. I'm not too worried because my fingerprints are already in the system (a requirement for all teachers) and my paperwork is already with the USOE, so I guess I just need to get my stuff with this school district.

I'm a happy with getting the job, but I guess I'll reserve judgment until I finish a full week of work and I see what I've gotten myself into, but I don't think it will be that bad.

Yay for me!

Back in the grove of things. . . kind of

Well, I've really been slacking off lately, but I have good reason. I've been on the job hunt for a while since I think I lose my job on friday. Yep, I graduate on friday. Wow. That is a really weird feeling if you think about it. After being in school straight since kindergarten, I'm actually going to be out of that loop. Now, many know that I graduate with a teaching degree, but in all honosty, I'm not too sure if I want to teach. With the way the school systems are, I don't know if I want to do that. I know, I know, if you want change, may times it needs to start with you, you need to be the catalyst, but that is a really big order and I'm not sure if that is something I really want to do right now.

So, what do i really want to do? That is a good question. I've always had interest, but "school came first" and since I didn't pay for it, I guess that I needed to follow the advice of the person who was paying for it. Now that I'm done, I think I might want to explore things. I guess I should have done that before I got married huh. (:-p) All kidding aside, I really want to explore my talents and my aspirations and see if they get me anywhere . . . meanwhile have a steady job that can pay the bills. I think I want to figure out if my dancing or costume making gets me anywhere. Eh, we'll see.

But lately I've just been trying to get as many hours at work as I can before my job is gone. It is a weird feeling to think that I'm done on friday with my job anyway. They've been trying to figure out a way to keep me around, but I don't think that is going to happen. I wouldn't mind doing what I'm doing for a real job. I have fun looking at everything that passes through my computer and working with all the different formats. I've had fun and if I can figure out what exactly I need and how to get the funding for it, I'm thinking about starting up my own business doing what I'm doing here now. I have too much fun with video and the production aspect of it!

As for my weekend, I spent most of it either reading or watching the olympics. It has been interesting to watch the games with my parents. The gymnastics last night was fun considering my dad--when he was in Brasil and doing gymnastics down there--used to work/coach/compete with one of the judges. It was fun to watch him watch the TV intently to try and find her . . . which he did. Plus with all his insights into gymnastics, he was able to explain some things to me that I didn't understand and he was able to see the way the judges did; but he is like me, he doesn't like the new scoring system. He told me that it is harder to follow and it leaves more room for cheating. Agreeded. Plus, the chineese womens gymnastics team is bugging me! There is NO WAY that some of those girls are 16. They aren't developed and still have their baby teeth! Why doesn't the IOC have x-rays done of the girls and look at their growth plates? You can tell age very close by those. They spend a lot of time looking for doping (which I think they should) but why not look into age as well?

I can't wait for Track and Field to hear my mom's insights and see if there is anyone around that she knows. If they Olympics come back to the states, I'm hoping that she gets invited to judge again. She was invited in '96 for Atlanta, but turned it down because of conflicts with teaching and presenting at a conference.

But on to Monday weird news. . . . . . . .
Fireworks faked?

Ever wanted to be an English "Lord"?

Don't ride on the hood of the car with grandma

Why gardening can be painful

Viral Video Friday

Okay, so I've been slacking off lately, but I haven't forgotten to post a video or two!



I've had a few people ask about the film that I took part in a few months back. Here's a quick look at the film through some pictures. I can't decide which version of the slideshow I like, so here are all of them, each of them have a different feel to them (Thanks Tim and Tanya!).

Yep, I look like a dork! But I got to play with Saris and costume, so I was happy! Plus, the dancing was fun and I got to spend the day at the salt flats!

As soon as the movie is done, I'll see if I can post a link or a version of it here. I am excited to see the final product!

A Partial Review . . . . from Seattle

Hello all! Well, I'm back and I took the weekend off to get things done and to get some pictures off my camera. The still aren't all out, but as I'm making sure that everything is ready to go for my graduation, getting pictures off my camera really isn't on my priority list.

I'll post more pictures as I sort through them, but here is a quick review of how my last week went.

Saturday
We took off saturday afternoon. It was kind of a bumpy ride, and there was a flight attendant that thought he was funny, but really wasn't. He didn't make the trip any better. When we landed, it was great to feel the coolness in the air. Going from 100+ to about 75 is amazing! It was funny to feel that most of the buildings still had air conditioning going on. I didn't think they needed it, but I'm happy for it anyway! After we were picked up by Jakob's parents, we went to a theatre production of Oklahoma. It was a total rip-off of the Hugh Jackman version; right down to some of the costumes and the set. Yes, there was some originality to it and some of the actors you wanted to shoot! and don't get me started on the "dancing" but there were some great little highlights.

Sunday
Just a lazy normal sunday

Monday
Monday was seriously a full day. We got up early and went to the zoo! I don't remember the last time that I was at a zoo, and we were there early enough that we saw some of the animals getting fed. I've got a few pictures up, but I'll have to put up the video I have of an Otter getting food out from a tube. That was fun to watch!

We got there right before a lot of the groups showed up, so we had a nice time looking at all the animals.

I don't think Jakob realized that I took this picture, but I was trying to get the name of the place in and he just kind of stepped in front of the camera.

Doesn't Jakob fit right in with the Lemur family? tee hee hee
This was just too cute to pass up. I love the zoom on my camera!

After the zoo we went to the glass museum. That was fun. It was amazing to see what people can make out of glass. They have a part of the museum called the "Hot Shop" and you can see some of the artisans at work. When we were there, we saw them making a dinosaur head and some sort of vase or other little object. I wish I could have taken some pictures, but it was amazing to see the security they had up to prevent people from doing that. I've got a picture from the outside of the building.

As a saying goes. . . 'leave them wanting more' so I'll leave you with those few pictures and I'll write more later. (actually, I've got to get back to work)

More to come. Stay tuned. . . . .

Viral Video Friday!

I adore the muppets, so I have to put on two videos this week. I can't decide on only one, so you get to enjoy two of them!

Our 4th of July Parade Pictures . . .

Yeah, I know, it's a little late, but I was waiting for more pictures to show up. I still haven't gotten all the pictures off. I didn't take these ones, but I'm going to post them anyway. So, as I said before our group does the pre-parade in Provo. It is quite interesting. This year we decided to do something different and not allow the parade goers to slow us down by asking us to stop and take pictures. It worked rather well. Normally we are the ones that slow down the parade because we just get hounded for pictures, or we lose people because they get caught up taking pictures. I think it worked and everyone was a bit better for it. It wasn't as much stop and go.

I didn't take these pictures (thanks to those who took the pictures!), since I really didn't want to drag my camera along the parade route this year. I wanted to focus on keeping the troopers healthy . . . well, as healthy as you can while walking in a helmet in high heat.
Me and my amazing "sister". (no, we're not really related, but everyone thinks we are. we act so much alike and we're really really good friends!)



Jakob and Steve. Those two have too much fun on a parade route. They actually look really good too . . apart from some really weird and wild hair!
I think Jakob is talking strategy.
Our great and amazing Vader. All of us were happy that it stayed relatively cool for those in helmets.
This little droid was fun, but I can't drive it! I'm not all that great with remote controls, plus I was pulling the cooler and the spotter bag. It was a hit with some people though.
Our group. See? I was there, just pulling the cooler (which came in really handy near the end of the route).

Monday's Weird News

I know, it's late, but it has been a kind of busy day. First, my car has officially died. I have no idea what is wrong with it. My dad and brother think it's one thing, but in order to figure out if it is that, then I have to tow the car to the nearest dealer and that isn't going to be good. So, the next few days should be interesting.

But anyway, back to the weird news. . . . . . . .


Not so bright thief. . . . . oops

Always look in your sandwich before eating . . . . . clickie

When spraying the house for bugs . . . . . . . right here

Instead of a pedicure . . . . . glup glup glup

Friday's Fun Viral Video

Great alliteration right? *rolls eyes* Yeah, I know, I'm weird. But I thought I'd put some fun video on every Friday . . . just because.

Enjoy!

My drug of choice. . . .

No, it isn't anything like that. My mom just made an observation while we were at the fabric store yesterday and that got me thinking. The store is having an amazing sale and I just can't resist a good sale, especially when it comes to fabric and notions (thanks mom, you're the best for teaching me these tricks!). Anywho, we were looking around--mind you, we've got two carts almost full of fabric--and my mom notices that I'm smiling and seem at ease and I'm actually enjoying myself. "You're on a high," she said to me. "Yeah," I replied, pulling out another bolt and putting it on my cart. "This is my drug of choice. I can't get high off the illegal stuff, so I'll do it legally." I said all this without breaking stride. My mom had to stifle a laugh, then had to lean over to breathe because she was laughing so hard. This other lady gave me the weirdest look and I just continued on "not that I'm a druggie or anything." Yeah, some weird stuff comes out of my mouth at times . . many times without me really thinking about it.

But in all realism, I really do get a kick out of going to look at fabrics. I really don't like shopping all that much, but when it comes to fabric, I can be in a store for a while looking at everything . . . especially if there is a good deal. Although the stores around here are the generic stores, it is fun to see what each little region likes. I visited a bunch of different Jo Ann stores and noticed that the merchandise that was on sale changed with each store. It was more like the amount that changed. In one store I found a bunch of gorgeous lacy fabric that I haven't seen in any of the other stores; probably because they've sold out of it. I also found some great deals on thick bridal satin, the stuff that is normally pretty pricey, but is amazing to use. Plus I found all the velvet that I need to use for some movie costumes and Jakob is happy because the fabric for his Halloween costume didn't cost as much as he was actually planning on.

All in all, I'm very happy with my finds. I normally don't spend as much as I did, but when I find deals like this, I might as well stock up.