It has officially been over three years since last I blogged. I'm definitely rusty! This will be a bear with me post as I'm going to have to get back into the swing of things. Since last I blogged, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia for a year and have been in Orlando, Florida for about a year and a half. I'm definitely a long ways from Vermillion/Aberdeen, South Dakota. It is pretty amazing how different things are. I'm numb to the culture shock now but it was scary and exciting and overwhelming for a long while. I made the awe inspiring transition from Wal-Mart to Sam's Club. There were a lot of strange changes in between with all the moves but for the most part I can't complain because I've always had a job. That's more than some people can say. There are too many things about it all to talk about in one post so there'll be bits and pieces as we go along. My music has derailed and I'm floundering a bit trying to decide what to do about it. More on that another time.
Considering that absolutely nothing has gone according to plan, I'm happy with my life. It lacks the excitement and rigor of my college days but that's just as much a good thing as a bad thing. The biggest adjustment I want to make right now is how I use my free time. It has no focus and I'd like to change that. I've been reading a lot and I want to continue to do so but there are other things I want to do besides sit on the couch all day. So that will be my goal for myself. Make better use of my free time! Aaaannnnddd go! I'm going to say that blogging is a good start...even though I'm on the couch. I'm still chalking it up as a win.
MoViE mOnDaY!!!
I've seen a couple of movies in the past few weeks. The most recent one was The Huntsman: Winter's War. I had no expectations going into this movie. I saw Snow White and the Huntsman and was thoroughly underwhelmed. I decided to give this one a go because they decided to ditch their leading lady and focus on the jaw-dropping Chris Hemsworth. Throw in Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Jessica Chastain and I'm pretty much in. The movie was pretty well rounded. I laughed, I cringed, I vaguely wondered if Jessica Chastain is in every movie. I have no complaints. It was decent while not being anything special. I'll leave the trailer below and see you on the flip-side!
It has been an obscene amount of time since I last blogged. I would be lying if I said that it was because I am living a life that is a whirlwind of activity and I simply have no time. But I don't want to lie to you. I haven't blogged because nothing has happened. I don't think I've been living a dull, lifeless existence. That isn't the case at all. I just haven't had anything blog-worthy to post about. I'm not sure I do now but I thought I'd give it a shot so that you don't forget about me.
I've mostly been working, sleeping, and investing all of my spare time into a beautiful thing called March Madness. It might be my favorite time of the year. I'll get back to you on that. I am certain that it rocks and I can't look away. Most of my peeps don't know what a college basketball fan they have as a friend until March rolls around and I bury myself in brackets and team stats. I don't pretend to know a lot about any of the competing teams. I don't have the cable channels it takes to keep up with all of that. I try to be as educated as I can when I'm putting my bracket together and that usually works out. This March Madness was a totally different story. Everyone decided to come to the NCAA tournament and make history, and be ground breakers, and ruin my beautifully made bracket. It was a disappointing tournament in that respect. Despite my quickly shredded bracket, I enjoyed the Cinderella stories and underdog successes. The dramatic injuries, the emotional roller coasters, and the inspiring sports montages kept me hooked until the end. I can't wait for another year to go by so that I can do it all over again. College basketball ranks right up there with gymnastics and figure skating for me. I LOVE IT!
Now for a public service announcement: Erin has become a crazy cat lady and bought Samcat some treats. It seemed innocent enough until we saw the lasting effect of said treats. They turn my sweet, calm Samcat into...dun dun dun...METHCAT! Methcat has super-cat strength and the ability to run from one end of the apartment to the other for hours on end. She never tires and she maintains a constant look of surprise and an insatiable zest for life. She thinks that she can climb walls and see things in the ceiling. She is convinced that someone is following her and cries out for help on occasion. She can get a little twitchy towards the end of her rush and eventually crashes into an adorable heap of cat. If the treats are given after 6 o'clock, the high will end sometime after midnight. It i
s an experience that I have observed several times and I recently restricted the use of these treats to early afternoon times of day. Methcat CANNOT be trusted! DO NOT pet Methcat while she is under the influence. Failure to adhere to this warning can result in loss of limbs and/or life. Thank you for listening and keep an eye out for....dun dun dun....METHCAT!
This concludes my broadcast for the day. Tune in again for more unfaltering entertainment. From all of us here at apartment 203: Good Night and Happy Trails. :P
My word! It has been a while. So much has happened since I last took the time to blog. I said when I started this blog that I wouldn't let lapses like this happen because it defeated the purpose of progress documentation. There's the proof then...I'm an imperfect person. Sigh. I've been found out...
Really though. I've been across the country and back since I blogged last so let's play a little game called "catch up"!
I went to Disney World over New Year's Eve and it was the most amazing time ever. We spent New Year's Eve in Epcot and it was really magical. We crammed massive amounts of activity into nearly everyday and did everything that you can do at Disney World 2-3 times. That might be a slight exaggeration...but it's really close. We ventured out of our cushy Disney bubble for two days to go to Universal Studios. That was also a pretty great time and I got to fulfill my dream of geeking out near Hogwarts in Harry Potter Land. While Adrian, Erin, and Phil rode the roller coasters, I sipped Butter Beer and read a book in Hogsmeade. LOVE! To keep a 12 day story short, I think everybody had a good time and it was a truly fantastic trip.
I feel some changes a' comin'. I'm not entirely sure what they are but my inner Miss Cleo is getting a spidey sense that the wind will be changing directions soon. Those were conflicting references but hopefully you were able to keep up. All I know for sure is that I'm starting to get restless. When I've gotten this feeling in the past I've transferred schools or found a new job or gotten a tattoo. It will be interesting to see what this restless feeling will lead to. I'll keep you posted...all five of you. ;)
I've signed up for voice lessons with Dr. Gesteland. I'm actually really nervous about it. I haven't done any legitimate singing since September. I've practiced. Not nearly as much as I should have been and I'm fairly confident that I won't impress Dr. G with my upkeep and advancement. It will feel so good to get my disobedient instrument back into shape. "Bring it on" says my voice. "Doin' it" says I! We'll see how much of my enthusiasm I've retained after my first lesson next week. Just getting my breath support back to normal is going to kick my butt. It's time though. Past time.
Erin's just come home...drunk. Drunk Erin quote of the evening: "You have questions, nobody answers them..." stumbles off into the darkness of the apartment. Thank you for guest hosting my blog roomz!
I had the most enjoyable privilege of joining my friends in watching the Super Bowl yesterday. Here's what I got out of it. The ballet (also known as BAL) played against Sioux Falls (SF) in New Orleans. The ballet was the underdog going into it but they managed to get a strong lead going into half time. Beyonce, joined by former Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, rocked her face off during a trippy, epileptic seizure enducing half-time show. Despite everyone's hopes and dreams, Beyonce's costume stayed on for the entire performance. The godaddy.com nerd got to awkwardly make out with the godaddy.com prostitute. A Doritos obsessed goat carried out his vengeance behind closed doors. The power went out in half of the stands which apparently means that football cannot happen for roughly 40 minutes. Sioux Falls tried to make a comeback but they just couldn't do it and the ballet won 34-31. GO YOTES! Or as my friends Ken and Matt would say "SPORTS!"
The Oscars are coming! The Grammys are coming first but let's face it...I don't care! The Oscars are coming and I couldn't be more exciting. The competition is so stiff this year and I'm already biting my nails over it. People have already been surprised by results from the SAG's and the Emmys so it will be interesting to see who ends up taking home the little man statue. I'm slowly ticking away at the movies on the list so that I can be an educated guesser at who will win and I'm pleasantly surprised by how good everything is. I still have a few more to go and then I'll post my picks. In the meantime, I'm putting a clip of Django Unchained below. It has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz), Cinematography, Sound Editing, and Original Screenplay. It is definitely an interesting piece of work that shows Quentin Tarantino at his best. Yup!
I got a promotion at work! I'm the new Merchandising Supervisor of Jewelry and Shoes. Of my two interviews, this was the position that I really wanted and I'm so glad that it worked out. It feels so great to be going back to apparel. It has been so long since I worked with clothing and accessories and I can't wait to dive in. It feels a little like going home in a weird, retail obsessed way. :D I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to get started. Somebody has to take my place on the inventory team before I can move. It could be a long, impatient wait on my part, but we'll get there. In the meantime, I'm just going to learn what I can when I can and, in the words of a recent college graduate I know, keep on truckin'!
Christmas is coming soon. It will be the first time that I'll be home for Christmas in 5 years. I've never been big on Christmas and I've always had to work, but I miss my family and I'm so excited to see them all again. I got all my shopping done last week. I have a few last minute things to take care of when I get back to Aberdeen but I'm pretty much ready. I'm hoping to catch up with some of my old friends while I'm in town and cram in as much "mommy and me" time as physically possible. She is going to be so sick of me and I'm going to keep rubbing in the love. :) She and my step-dad are leaving for Texas the same day that Erin, Adrian, Phil and I head to Minneapolis for our flight to Orlando so the timing of it all is pretty perfect. If everything goes like I think it will, this will be the best Christmas/New Years ever! Bring on the holidays!
My kittens are coming to Vermillion! I have a stomach ache I'm so excited to see them. My mother is bringing them here, dropping them off, and taking Erin and I back to Aberdeen. I'll only get to see them for about an hour but I plan to squeeze in a much petting and hugging as possible. They will get enough affection to last them my entire Disney trip. Lily, Lola, Samcat, and Oscar-fish will be staying with a friend while I'm away and I know that they are in great hands. She has a cat also so it will be a full house! When I get back from Disney, I can cuddle my babies as often as I want!!! I really can't wait. I've missed them and their ridiculous personality quirks so much. Erin got me a book called Cat vs. Human. It is the documentation of crazy cat lady habits and situations. I find it all to be true and don't think it's crazy at all. ;)
Les Miserables will be in theatres on December 25th and I'm prepared for awesomeness. I'm also prepared for it to suck...but I'm hoping for awesome because it is 2hrs and 37 minutes long and that's an incredible time investment for a crappy movie. Just saying. I read a review for it in Entertainment Weekly that was less than flattering. It didn't seem as though the review writer liked the original musical so I don't know how unbiased their opinion would be. I happen to be a complete nerd about the musical and cried like a hungry infant throughout the entire second act. So I'm assuming that I'll automatically like it exponentially better than some play-hater movie critic. Erin is going to ask her mom if she wants to go so hopefully we'll be able to have a Christmas night mommy date. Nothing is keeping me out of Carmike Cinemas on December 25th. Check out the trailer below if you haven't already seen it (which is impossible because it is every other commercial). Merry Christmas!!
I have so many new things to play with!!! On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I upgraded my phone to the LG Lucid and on Thanksgiving afternoon, I bought a Kindle Fire! They both got to me on the same day! I didn't know where to start. I just keep switching back and forth between the two and my poor ipod touch is lying neglected on the coffee table, begging to be played with. Sorry ipod, you will be on the back burner for a while I get to know my new electronics. I'm not very tech savvy so it takes me much longer than it should to figure out the simplest things. Any other person can pick up my phone and do things that I never would have known were possible. Luckily, I mostly want the phone for texting and email and I mostly want the Kindle for reading. I have that stuff all figured out and if all else fails, that will be enough for me!
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have both come and gone for another year. I'm happy and sad about it. I'm happy that I can stop scouring for deals and spending all of my money. I'm sad that that I can't have all those good deals all the time. I'm happy to get on with the rest of the holiday season. I'm sad that tacky Christmas music will be full blast until New Years. I had some success on the shopping front. I got a down comforter that has had me sleeping like a rock, a lot of movies, every season of Bones, clothes, a ring, and some headphones. The wonderful thing about it is that I didn't have to pay much for any of it. The other good news is that it will be like Christmas before Christmas while I get all of my packages in the mail. Even though I bought it all, who doesn't love presents!?
I've been interviewing for open department manager positions at work and I'm anxious to see how it all turns out. I had one interview a few days ago and I have a second one this Saturday. Wish me luck!!
WITTY WEDNESDAY!!!!
"Black Friday: because only in america do people trample each other for cheap goods, hours after being thankful for what they already have." Personally, that's what I love about Amurika! Check ya' later!
It is starting to be winter outside! I love winter and I like the cold but I'm sick...as usual. I started getting that tell-tale tickle in my throat last night and this morning it was on fire. I'm medicating like crazy and I want to drown my illness in drugs. Wish me luck! Another way that I can tell its winter is when Samcat gets cuddly. A cold kitty is an unhappy kitty so she gets all up in my junk as often as possible. I can't sit or lay down or sleep without her becoming a vital part of my anatomy. It's adorable...but it also makes it hard to do things like seeing and moving and functioning. On the bright side, she doesn't wake me up every morning anymore. Baby steps.
Erin and I have started doing Insanity. It is very truly insane! When I look back on all of the sports I've played, I can't remember a workout so intense. I'm on day eight and I've lost 6 lbs and have dropped a pants size. I love that the movement is so accessible. I don't need weights, I don't need to be insanely flexible, they encourage you to work on form over speed and to work at your own pace. I'm even to the point where I can move without my muscles screaming at me all day. I had a pretty rough first few days. Walking up and down the stairs seemed like torture and climbing the ladder at work was hell on earth. My muscles have finally adjusted and I can walk without looking like a freak again. :D
Yesterday, Adrian and I went to see Argo. I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time! I don't think I've ever been that stressed out during a movie before. My palms sweat and I almost couldn't handle it. Because I know how to read, I knew what was going to happen, but that didn't stop me from NEEDING to know what happened next. The casting was amazing, everything was stimulating, we got a pretty amazing flashback to the late 70's/early 80's, and we got to see Ben Affleck with the most atrocious of facial hair. I think this movie is Oscar gold and I can't wait to see how it does during award season. I would leave my token hottie pictures at the bottom but there isn't one attractive thing about that time period. I'll leave the trailer for the movie instead. Deuces!
Samcat is back! My mom brought her to me about three weeks ago and I couldn't be happier. Our first couple of days were rough because she was so set in my mom's routine. She had developed a habit of waking up and being fed at 5:00 am. So at 5:00 am on the nose, that silly girl woke me up to feed her. I immediately searched for a solution to our problem because if she didn't knock it off, she was going to end up homeless. I love that cat, but I'm not capable of feeling anything but rage at 5 in the morning. I've employed some pretty entertaining behavior modification techniques but it's still a work in progress. At the end of the extraordinarily long day, I'm glad that she's here and will be even more excited to be re-united with Lily and Lola. Once my crazy cat lady status is restored, I will be complete!
I getting so excited to go to Disney World!! December 27th can't come soon enough. I just want to jump ahead to being in the happiest place on earth. Erin, Adrian, Phil, and I are going to live it up for 12 days in Orlando. We're going to check out Universal and wizard around in Harry Potter Land. I can't think of a better vacation for a group of nerds like us. :D
MOVIE MONDAY!!!
I saw a movie a while back that I loved but I haven't blogged about it yet. I realized my oversight today and immediately sought to correct that issue. Pitch Perfect was, by far, the most entertaining thing I've seen in a very long time. From beginning to end I was enthralled. I laughed, I gagged, I tapped my toes to some rocking tunes. It was ACAMAZING!! If that college existed, I'd most certainly be going there. Anna Kendrick was a breath of fresh air. She is my favorite thing about Twilight and she might just be my favorite thing about the movies this year. Between What to Expect When You're Expecting and Pitch Perfect, she has had a really great 2012 at the movies. I'm putting my favorite clip from the movie below. It is of a Riff Off which is about the nerdiest most amazing thing that I've ever wanted to be a part of. Enjoy it and I'll check you later! Deuces.
