City girl meets the great outdoors

So, this past weekend I (along with my nearest and dearest) went camping at Lake Easton. One fact that we quickly learned was that Lake Easton is not the HUGE lake that we always pass when visiting the 'burg. However, it is still a nice and beautiful area. Camping was lots of fun, though I don't think I could do more than one night of it. Let's face it anymore and I really would have become Negative Nancy.

I was just spoiled growing up and camping in warm areas with the beach, a pool, hot non-pay shows, air mattresses, tire swing that didn't make you throw up after being on it, air mattresses (yep, it goes twice, my back hurt that much after one night of ground sleeping) and parents who provided all meals and such for you.

Oh well though not everyone has to love the outdoors and I did only end up with one bug bite, a success in my book.

This picture epitomizes what Ash and I did the whole trip (though we totally took down her tent and were so awesome and got it back into the tiny little bag).



photo courtesy of jason

Let the teaching begin

So a friend and I decided that we were going to teach other the merits of the movie genres that we are the most knowledgeable in. He is informing me of the greatest of Chinese cinema (starting off with John Woo) and I of course, am teaching him the ways of the great romantic comedies (with focus on the early mid-nineties).

We decided to start it off pretty basic, he brought Face/Off to the table and I decided to show Clueless. Since the only John Woo film, I ever saw was Paycheck, my standards for his movies were set pretty low. And after all is said and done I really liked Face/Off. I liked the bad-assness of the two guns, and that with the exception of one of the extras, none of the females were passive. So that was a major plus for it. Then, of course, I started to over think that whole line about how their face transplants would just be temporary- so wouldn't there be complications eventually down the road, if they had to stay with the same faces? I suppose then it is a good thing the whole thing only took place in a week.

Overall, I would say, that is was a 4 out of 5.

Now, I don't think that I really need to share my love for Clueless, since I am sure by now it is apparent. So instead to show my love for the film, I will point out three scenes/lines that made the trailer but not the actual film.
1) In the beginning Cher says "they were sitting on mismatched chairs ..."
2) When Cher, Ty and Dione are at the restaurant Cher says "I'm not a prude or anything..."
3) The scene in the bathroom with Cher, Amber and Dione and Cher turns to Amber and says "Is big hair in?"

Its all true- watch the trailer and then the movie and compare. You will see that I am right

6 years ....

After multiple conversations with friends and feeling nostalgic, I wanted to find out how long I had continually kept up a blog or online journal. As of this July, it will be 6 years ... that's such a long time. I suppose it is because I find it easier to type than write since my mind seems to go faster than my hand. It is always so interesting to look back at the type of person that you were and what was important to post out to the public and the things you kept private. Let me tell you, there wasn't a lot I kept secret in those first few years of blogging. I used my first online journal to basically talk about everything and anything often times things that I should have kept to myself. Looking back, I can't help but think, "man, maybe I wouldn't have been my friend either." But then again if I hadn't acted certain ways and if others hadn't acted the way they had then I wouldn't be who I am or where I am. So in a way, my big mouth did me some good.

So here is to another 6 years ... which will be the longest commitment that I'll have had to anything so far

word.

Dear Carolyn: I never thought of looking at things like that! Do you really suggest going into a relationship thinking about the worst-case scenario?
-- Your Idea

Dear Idea: Of course it's brilliant. Cheez.
Seriously -- it's considered irresponsible to make any big decision without mentally walking yourself through the worst-case scenario. With any investment, you have to consider the risk. To avoid thinking this way with a relationship because doubts seem "mean" is, I think, the equivalent of choosing to shut off half your brain, arguably when you need it most.
Will asking yourself this question prevent all mistakes? No. All this can do is weed out the ones you already know are capable of taking prisoners and/or cheap shots. Almost everyone who gets out of a bad relationship will admit to having seen something was wrong long before choosing to get out. When there's an easy way to pre-empt a whole lot of bad decisions in one stroke, use it.

You'll laugh again when something is really funny

This past weekend was a good weekend, one of those weekend you think back on a year later and still think that it was one of the best, despite the fact that many other ones have passed since then. It was also one of those weekends that also, you'll never know how good it was unless you were there to be a part of it. So since I won't be able to accurately describe it, I'll describe the more tangible aspects of it.

I got to see two fabulous movies (oh and I supposed a terrible one as well). First off, I got to see American Teen for free thanks to the hard work of the roomie. This was an amzing documentary about teens in a high school in Indiana. There were times when my heart just swelled and broke with the teens. I recommend that everyone go and see it when it gets released in August.

I also went to see Sex and the City with the girls and it was a glorious 2 hours and 26 mins. I laughed and I cried and fell back in love with my favorite girls all over again. Though not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, I wish that Jennifer Hudson had a bigger role, because she was just wonderful.

Happy 23rd Birthday Leslie:

I caved

In my defense (excuse) I am fighting off a cold, can count on one hand with fingers left over the times that I have had ice cream in the last two months and I have been fighting this craving for the past week. Please don't judge

P.S. at least I am drinking OJ and since I already take vitamins so I am definitely getting my Vitamin C

An epic entry for an epic weekend

I love three day weekends for the sole reason that it means I don't work on a day that I normally would. Here's a recap of a great Memorial Day weekend:

Friday
The night got started off nice with margaritas and game night, in which Team SoCal won, not once but twice at Cranium WOW (my new fav. edition). Though too many margaritas later led to passing out on the floor and having weird dreams and I am pretty I did some minor sleep walk/talk.

Saturday
Too hungover to go to water aerobics. Though did walk around in the wonderful sun for about 1.5 hours, so I got my work out in for the day and felt less gross about the amount of drinking I had. I did have to do a semi-walk of shame -alcohol in hand-something which proud to say have not had to too much in my life. Saturday also involved seeing a friend I hadn't seen in a while, eating really good food and helping the Ash clean out her closet and the crazy discoveries that ensued.

Sunday
This was THE day of the weekend. Rubi, Ash and I headed over to the Gorge for Sasquatch, bright and early. We got there in plenty of time and just in time as the down pour started. But I wasn't a Girl Scout for nothing and pulled a McGuyver and fancied a poncho out of the recycling bags. Okay, so maybe it wasn't developing a roll of film in orange juice and milk, but whatever.

After settling down with food and drinks we watched as Blue Scholars took the main stage. They always put on a great show no matter the size of the crowd. I have seen them at the smallest of venues and the biggest and each time they never disappoint.

Next up was Tegan and Sara, who were so awesome. This was the first time that I had seen them live and they were just amazing. Their stage banter was fun and witty, plus they have great Canadian accents, what more could you want? They also played a good mix of new and old song, and while they didn't play some of my all-time favorites, I won't hold it against them

The Cold War Kids followed and despite opening with a really slow song the rest of the set was up beat and fun. They played did play my favorite song of their's "We Used to Vacation Here," and was a good set over all.

We got to the Wookie Stage with plenty of time before Mates of State came on stage. Man, they are so much fun. I really dig their music and it was good to here stuff off their new album. Plus their closed with my new favorite song, which again, a plus.



The one bummer of the day was that we didn't get to see The Kooks because they were being such divas about their sound check. They were setting up for over 45mins. So we had to say "peace" and head back to the main stage to see, my main reason for going, Death Cab for Cutie.

The first time I saw Death Cab, it was in a small venue, but seeing them at The Gorge was awesome. Despite Ben Gibbard's need for a hair cut and overly dramatic instrumental parts the show was amazing. How did they know to play my two favorite songs Crooked Teeth and The Sound of Settling back-to-back? It must have been kismet.

We stayed for one song of The Cure.... but man are they soooo dramatic and dreary. So we booked back to the 'Burg.

I think that one of the best part of weekends was just hanging out with the girls, something that hasn't happened a lot lately and so just being present and enjoying the moment was great.

Monday
This day involved mostly eating, sleeping and dreading the prospect of work. Though I did finally watch the finales of Grey's and Ugly Betty. Tres exciting, hopefully things get back to the way they were on Grey's and that Betty when to Rome with Gio .... because it would be so ridiculous and un-Betty-like for her to marry Henry

Overall People Watching Observations:

• I have never seen so many iphones in my life, especially on people who dress and act as though they are too cool for expensive gadgets


• Why oh why would you walk around barefoot at The Gorge, do you really think that it is sanitary?
  
• When did it become so cool to smoke cigarettes? I swear everyone and the mother was a chain smoker


• The average age of the people there had to be like 15. Seriously? Who let's their 15 year old go to an all-day/weekend festival by themselves?