the way i am

february fotos: makes me happy

2012-02-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

today was super rad. i got to write my ex-husband a check for the divorce paperwork on valentines. it pretty much rocked. even so, it ended up being a nice day. my family spoiled me and my co-workers brought me lots of goodies. growing up, my dad would always send a dozen roses to me at school. no one else ever got them and year after year i would beam at how much my dad loved me. and that makes me happy.

february fotos: self portrait

2012-02-14T23:52:00.001-07:00

february fotos: front door

2012-02-14T23:47:00.003-07:00

come by some time, wont ya?

february fotos: sun

2012-02-14T23:44:00.002-07:00

nothing more therapeutic than a nap in the afternoon sun

february fotos: buttons

2012-02-14T23:43:00.001-07:00

my grandpa brought over a bunch of my grandmas suits last week for me to go through and i found this gem. excited to try it with a pair of heels and skinny jeans.

february fotos: dinner

2012-02-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

well actually, dessert. my family gets together every single sunday for dinner and it is something that is so very dear to me. it gives me fuel to start a new week after i have had a few great hours chatting and laughing with my peeps.

february fotos: 10am

2012-02-12T12:37:00.002-07:00

i have braces and am single. might as well be 17 and late for third period.

february fotos: a stranger

2012-02-12T12:31:00.001-07:00

i was working in the city this week and went to a delicious ethiopian restaurant during my break. i made friends with a three-year-old girl named lahni. we talked about animals while we ate with our hands and eventually she took my phone and started taking pictures of herself. pretty much love her. she cried when i left and asked to come home with me. what a doll.

february fotos: (signing) hands

2012-02-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

signing hands are my favorite kind

so ya... im ten days behind on posting. but yall know my life is insane (ahem, awful) right now, so maybe you will forgive me?
xoxo

february fotos: words (im trying to become beautiful through all this)

2012-02-02T22:08:00.002-07:00

february fotos- day one: your view today

2012-02-01T18:06:00.002-07:00

being that i am homeless and all, i have been staying at my moms. this is the view from my terrace. not bad at all.

a bunch of my cute friends are doing this photo challenge and i decided to jump on board. i am super excited to see little details of their lives. enjoy.

bad things come in 3's. i'm on my second set.

2012-01-30T20:14:00.002-07:00

1. i got laid off.
2. twice.
3. i am getting a divorce.

1. my twin brother/best friend just moved to russia.
2. my grandma died today.
3. (.... still waiting. wish me luck.)

true biz terps

2012-01-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

you cannot perform in a manner inconsistant with the way you see yourself
-zig ziglar

hiatus

2012-01-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

i hope you will all forgive my absence. i am doing a little soul searching at the moment and will be back on air shortly. in the meantime, read these two gems to help you start 2012 the right way.

30 things to stop doing to yourself

in honour of the fact that life it short

xoxo,
b

2011-12-22T23:24:00.001-07:00

xo, k + b

2011-12-22T13:08:00.001-07:00

photo by the lovely rochelle fee

download this song

2011-12-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

my talented/handsome/super sweet friend, steven, has a free download of "angels we have heard on high" here.

click the download button.

you will not be disappointed.

some more holiday things

2011-12-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

we just got photo bombed by a llama. sweet.

i forgot i had braces so i smiled with teeth and coke caught it. and i couldnt deny you lovely people the pleasure of seeing a caplet awkwardly cling to my size A boob. consider it christmas.

this season i meant to go on "12 dates of christmas" with coke but its looking like its not going to happen. we did decorate the house, watch elf and drink egg nog, watch the grinch (sorry r & r that i have never ever stayed awake for a movie at your house), go to the christmas carol (thanks chelle :) at the darling and intimate hale center theatre and go christmas caroling with llamas at a trailer park while trading christmas trees for canned goods.

ps- i am making lots of gifts this year and am very pleased with how they are turing out. and lots of them are not very pricey, either. i wont post until after they are unwrapped so send me a text if you need some last minute ideas in the meantime ;)

grammar

2011-12-17T12:25:00.001-07:00

via pinterest

i love hearing grammar pet peeves. mostly so i can avoid them whilst interpreting.

mine? i cringe when interpreters say they are an inter-pur-der. im like "ugh... you suck at you job."

so please, tell me yours!

decembery

2011-12-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

photo

i spent my day meeting with two of my bosses and making big plans for the new year. have i told you lately how much i LOVE my jobs? its true. i got to spend 6 whole hours at my alma mater today and it felt so right.

tonight i am eating cinnamon pull-apart bread from my lovely mother-in-law, drinking lots of nutella hot chocolate and watching this cool/christmassy video.

keep calm and make free prints

2011-12-11T23:11:00.001-07:00

i just made a free (shh!) christmas gift for my step mom on this site. although i think these are going in the direction of redundant, i also think if they are personal and earn you a smile then its worth the ten seconds you took to make it. i will probably make some little tags out of these and use them this year for wrapping. here are my thoughts:

(my pop) keep calm and drink coke
(my mom) keep calm and play the glad game
(my step dad) keep calm and pick up the dogs
(my husband) keep calm and take your shirt off
(my sister) keep calm and wipe the macaroni from your hair
(my brother) keep calm and fly on
(other brother) keep calm but dont sleep in class

he owns the sky part 1

2011-12-11T19:42:00.001-07:00

the other day i had a client cancel so i called up my brosef to see if he wanted to grab some grub. he told me he had just landed and to pick him up from the airport. so i swung by and a handsome guy was waiting for me in the pilots lounge with a plane right outside the door. before i had a chance to say no i was up in the clouds.

flying is kinda fun for me but the really amazing part- the part i enjoy most- is watching my kid brother be a total bad ass. he's all fox-trot, delta, niner niner, bravo and shit. of course the guy at the tower knows who he is and (although talking on the radio is serious business) as he is giving mark permission to take-over the runway in a hurry, he calls him a clown. im glad when i am not around to give him crap he still has someone out there that puts him in his place.

love that kid.

small bumps

2011-12-06T22:11:00.001-07:00

hard things come in three. in the last three weeks a few of my friends have had three teeny infants pass away. i cannot imagine going through such a terrible thing. and yet so many women are asked to endure such atrocities. this past week i put together a playlist to try and comfort my friends. of all those songs the one that has stuck with me day after day is small bumps by the darling (and british) ed sheeran. if the sweet song is appropriate for the situation, i hope that you will be able to use it to comfort those you love who find themselves dealing with such a devastating event.

xoxo

insta-gone

2011-11-27T14:40:00.001-07:00

so ya. i have kinda disappeared lately. i think a huge part of that is that i am spending time on pinterest and instagram instead of on here. but i need to explain. my mom, my sister, and coke are the only people who i have approved to view my instagrams. so i owe an appology to everyone else out there who is kind enough to request to see my pics. that being said, i really am saving you. you see, we take pictures of hilarious things all day. things i promise none of you care about. things like my braces and eyebrows and dresser handles and bad parking jobs. i would annoy the shit out of you and then you wouldnt want to be my friend anymore. but to my teeny clique, we think its the best invention ever.

some more things...

this entire cd is amazing. i want to cry and dance and play the drums and look at the stars all at once. put it on your christmas list if you know what is good for you.

i had five thanksgivings this year and each was more lovely than the last. that being said, i thought i could handle turkey (psst... i havent had meat for a year and a half) for a special holiday treat. i was super wrong.

have you guys ever been to budget bytes? there are so many great ideas over there. i have lost hours of my day browsing and drooling. i am going to make sushi bowls tonight and tomorrow will ask coke to make the quick ramen bowls.

meatless monday (on a wednesday): twice baked sweet potatoes

2011-11-23T12:20:00.001-07:00

sorry for the Ifin pic.

i have been meaning to share these with you for a while now but i suck at life so i havent got around to it yet. lo siento. so today is thanksgiving eve and i think these would be a darling addition to your harvest. my family is kinda obsessed with twice baked regular potatoes and i thought what better way to encourage my peeps to eat lesser liked vegetables (ahem... sweet potatoes) than to make them into a familiar favorite. except with lots and lots of sugar.

4 baked sweet potatoes
1 block cream cheese room temperature
1 stick butter room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups marshmallows

cut the potatoes in half long ways and shell out the insides. throw them in the kitchen aid with cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. mix until they reach the consistency of mashed potatoes. add cream if necessary. cover each with marshmallows and put in the oven at 375 until the marshmallows get golden and gooey and delicious.

the end.

happy thanksgiving.

its time again for the bijou market!

2011-11-09T14:43:00.002-07:00

my darling friend emily is a founder of bijou market, which is amazing and addictive and the only local event that i want to blow my entire pay check on. it fabulous and you should go. y'all know i will be there...

i may or may not have this hung in my closet

2011-11-06T23:36:00.002-07:00

interpreting this week

2011-11-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

i was interpreting for a group of all guys talking macho. then lesbians got brought up and they were joking around. so i get to voice, "for sure. chances are i am a lesbian trapped in this body." of course all the guys jaws drop to the floor and they just stare at me. so i give them a few seconds to figure out that when becca speaks she doesnt speak for becca... she speaks for the person flapping their hands. when they didnt figure it out i pointed to the person who actually said the comment and they all laughed hysterically. to read about the first time people thought i was a lesbian while interpreting click here.

i spoke english to my deaf client. again, everyone stared. i just said, "whoops.... wrong language" and turned bright red. all my fb friends let me know that this is a common experience. (expect for rachel, who doesnt make mistakes)

in deaf culture (or at least in my experience) when they pray the person praying for the group will close their eyes and everyone else will fold their arms and look at the person signing. let me also explain that when an interpreter is voicing for a deaf person there is lots of eye contact and nodding being made to assure that communication is going smoothly. for the first time in my career i got to voice for a person who closed their eyes and signed. they just trusted me enough to know that i was competent enough to translate their language into another and make it sound professional.

ps- this week i realized i strongly emulate whoever my interpreting team is. there are many ways to skin a cat but it seems i follow whichever way my team decides to go. i guess you could say, i havent yet found my own style. but i have realized that i like teaming (and therefore copying) with signers who are expanding tons of information and signing like a house on fire. so maybe that is my style.

pss- things i already know about my style: i like to use the lexicalized option (ie: early, pattern), i dont mind setting my hands in my lap and letting my face to the talking, i use verbs differently than most terps from an itp because i root for the depicting verb philosophy, i use my tongue a lot a lot, i am a really noddy team, i dont mind dropping a vertical paris when discussing intercourse, i rock at token space.

another list of shit. i like lists.

2011-11-04T23:48:00.000-06:00

me and baby el bring out the silly in each other.

still struggling to understand gay rights? this might help.

i love reading articles about coffee being good for your health. i am still holding out on research showing the benefits from cherry coke.

im obsessed with pinterest. click here to follow me. and tell me this isnt true....

why people dont take cats for walks.

blood

2011-11-01T22:49:00.000-06:00

1) high 2) with my brosef. cute. 3) resting up with my best cuddle buddy 4) i survived.. i should probably tell you that the blood is totally not real. it was just so you guys would all think i was bad ass. did it work? also- my teeth are totally on that apron thingy for those freaky people that are into that. i was riding a unicorn while this was taken.

my punk ass kid brother and i both needed some teeth out so we arranged to have them done on the same weekend. which just happens to be halloween weekend. meaning zombie shows. we watched the full first season of the walking dead and caught up to where we are on the second season. pretty much i was cute all weekend. whats new...

the last time i got high was kinda a mess. this time i just screamed for help and hit the doctor for trying to take my teeth. it might have taken all the assistants and the secretary to calm (hold) me down. good times.

hey hipsters...

2011-10-31T21:46:00.003-06:00

my dad was a nerd before it was cool.

(also, before i was born.)

happy hallows (im thinking of making all my posts from now on in list format. it just feels right.)

2011-10-31T21:43:00.003-06:00

1) thats not wrexies costume. she has been wearing that sweater for weeks cause she thinks she is a bad ass.

2) fall apples.

3) my friend meadow had the best last minute costume idea... plastic surgery patient. just pull eyeliner out of your bag and you are good to go.

4) transitioning tree.

5) coke and i made these for dessert. he didnt dress up cause he is lame so i photoshopped a costume on him. just making memories people.

6) my family has a tradition of eating corn bread and chili every halloween. do you have a dinner tradition?

i have a slight obsession with skeletons and skulls. slight.

2011-10-31T13:46:00.002-06:00

zombies, pranks, and other random shit

2011-10-25T22:04:00.000-06:00

hmm. that jacket looked lots less boxy in the mirror....

have any friends that are victim to the zombie craze? im dedicating this zombie song to my friend kim. its pretty cute. (my dear, its about time we had a song.) also- how about some hip halloween music?

i have been working for my dad recently and last weekend his company had a convention up at the grand america. the place was amazing... loved it. i especially loved the creme brulee i had delivered to my room at midnight that cost more than my car. my dad was the keynote speaker and my baby brother and i introduced him. (see picture.) we are pretty bad ay. anyway... i am telling you all this because i want to tell you that i met a lady there that was blue. like, not pale, but actually blue. coke explained to me that she had methemoglobinemia and she just wasnt getting enough oxygen. my mind was blown. i had no idea such a thing was possible. maybe thats how people of different races felt when first meeting each other back in the day? (like the initial second... because right after that one race was deemed savage and massacred.)

i am obsessed with wanting to move into my moms garage. but i have a house. and dogs. whatevs, i am determined to make it work. (not a joke....)

i bought this the other day at the dollar store and used it to trick coke that i spilled ketchup in my new car. then i left it in my dads car that he asked me to fill up with gas. then my mom bought one and left it in her car for her husband to find. i am loving it and will probably go buy more. def worth a dollar.

on sunday i decided i was going to 1) get up early and take the puppies on a long walk everyday 2) stop drinking soda and 3) drink at least two bottles of water a day. none of these things has happened. but i did eat at a pizza buffet for lunch and slept in my car during my break. just keepin it classy, salt lake.

lately

2011-10-19T20:16:00.000-06:00

my mother is the most adorable person ever. she often watches baby el (aka gogi) and is always doing the cutest projects with him. this week they collected fall(en) leaves to make a tree and they made ghosts out of his hand and foot prints.

i have a zit on my forehead and a rash under my eyes from a new cream i tried. have a mentioned i have braces?

once i was trying to interpret "they were one-upping each other" and instead i signed "they got into a gun fight."

i have been doing some work for my dad lately and today he told me to send flowers to his secretary, wife, and daughters. (he is such a doll.) so on the card to his wife i wrote, "heather, sorry my burps smell like farts. love, keith." i have been waiting all day for a text thanking me for my help but have yet to receive one.

i am officially addicted to soda. again.

my test for my professional interpreting license is 39 hours away. i am preparing by eating pizza in bed and watching greys anatomy.

coke sent me an email with this picture. the subject was "we dont need much." and i fell in love with him all over again.

meatless mondays: flav's vegetarian chili

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-06:00

sorry for the end of the bowl iFin pic

i had my family over tonight for a festive fall meal. because they are all meat eaters i thought i needed to make something super substantial to prove that you could be full and satisfied without meat. so i decided to make a dish for them that my dear friend flavia once made for me. i served it out of a pumpkin and into pumpkin bread bowls. (psst, i also made one of these darling pumpkin shaped cakes but mine turned out too rich. i molded a giant tootsie roll for the stem. considering the cuteness factor, not too much work at all.)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
2/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
1/4 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 30 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, glarlic and green chilies; cook 1 minute. Stir in barley, water, black beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in cilantro. Serve with yogurt, lime wedges, avocado, shredded cheese and green onions.

adapted from cooking light, march 2002

that man of mine

2011-10-12T22:29:00.001-06:00

dont worry about what his hand is doing under the mitt. also dont worry about my dog sweeping the floor.

so coke cant cook anything. like at all. he lives off of raw top ramen and spaghetti-o's still in their can when i am not around. but my life has been insane lately and i asked him if he could take care of dinner one night a week. once we have had papa murpheys, once we have had leftovers and yesterday he made shepards pie. all the ingredients were either from a can or from kfc. and it was not made in the stove, but in the microwave. and it was in a bowl not a pie dish. truth is, it doesnt matter what it tastes or looks like... its just lovely that i have a husband who is willing to help me out even if it means cooking. or, in his case, assembling.

linky

2011-10-08T09:50:00.001-06:00

the show last night. i like the crappy iFin pic cause it shows how weird ass my family is.

i went to the rooftop concert series last show of the year with my fam. i danced like an indian and im pretty sure people thought i was special cause they were all watching and smiling.

ahhh. yoga. (i went to hs with jenny but we dont really know each other)

how amazing is this woman? her story gives me chill bumps.

shhh. dont tell coke but i am going to surprise him by taking him to this grand opening today.

i want to wear this everyday for the rest of my life.

my friend shared with me her apple pear last week and i am now obsessed.

morning walk

2011-10-04T08:45:00.001-06:00

space and shit

2011-09-30T21:43:00.003-06:00

toms eyewear

2011-09-24T14:53:00.000-06:00

toms photo

we are all totally obsessed with toms by now, yes? i was on their site this morning and saw they have branched out and are now doing eyewear. and, in toms fashion, for every pair they sell they will give sight to a person in need. this could include medical treatment, glasses, or even corrective surgery. holy schmoly. i like the classic 201. what about you?

ps- about 3.4 seconds after i saw their brown fleece botas yesterday i was chasing down a salesperson to tell them i would like to buy them in a six and a half.

iron chef

2011-09-20T00:15:00.000-06:00

i am lucky enough to be friends with kristine and devon, an amazing mother/daughter duo who were in my cohort. they have a son/brother in the lds missionary training center in provo right now and have the most amazing competition going on right now. winner gets bragging rights forever and a jar of caramel sauce. (ps- is this blog turning into a mormon mommy blog or is it just me? i assure you i am not mormon. or a mommy.) the competition? each family member is assigned a day of the week to have their delicious dish delivered to the mtc and judged by their young missionary and his roommates. another stipulation: it must contain nutella. of course dad took a cheater route and included beef. but will it pay off? the votes from the boys are currently being tallied.

pretty much they are the cutest people ever.... right? while i dont have a group of cute boys awaiting my packages, im sure we can think of other people who would appreciate such a contest. grandparents that live out of state? a cousin in the military? a bed-ridden prego lady? me?

(i joke, i joke)

(kinda)

this nostalgic city

2011-09-18T22:09:00.001-06:00

that is neena holding (squishing) dot. and that homeless boy is me.

i have lived in the same valley for most of my life and think its the most nostalgic thing that i get to relive so many fun memories just while on my way to the market. today i cranked the song "this city" while driving to see my fam dam and enjoyed the lovely memories i saw along the way.

there was my first kiss.

and there was where my cousin cut off each of my curls.

there is where i went to high school. i was a cheerleader who never was royalty. i graduated with high honors but sluffed most days to go to the best coffee shop in the valley with the bffs. neena would also catch me wearing her clothes in the halls and slap me.

and across the street is where grandma would cut peaches for me and grandpa would let me play monkey in the apple trees.

i was arrested there.

i lived in that house when i was really young. all i remember was singing the little mermaid with the barretts, owning a duck named dot, and having lots of nightmares about dinosaurs.

my mom taught school there and my dad was a founder in a business there.

one time when i was 11 i peed my pants (or should i say gi) there cause my teacher said i had to hold it.

that house there is where neena broke marks foot. and i punched in neenas door. and i would sleep with heat-factory-mikey in the winter. and neena wrote "bitch" on all her things cause she thought it was a bad ay nickname. and this was pre braces so we all had really bad buck teeth.

there was our favorite place to get treats and my dad spoiled us by taking us on our bikes everyday after school. this was about the same time i cried for days over charlottes tragic death.

i was baptized there on christmas eve. snow flakes stuck to my eyelashes and braided crown and i was pretty sure i was a princess.

just across the street and three short years later, my car pool kicked me out and and left mean letters in my locker because my dad was excommunicated from their church.

i landed in that field over there on one fourth of july... in a hot air balloon with my mom.

at that school i tried to strangle my bff to death, took place in lighting the school on fire and learned to say no-no words in spanish.

my first real job was there, where i learned about the gays, food, and death.

i was on student council there. which really just means that we stole the teachers absence excuse notepads and spent our days dancing to the stripper song on the tables of the student council room. i was there on 9/11. i had a restraining order against a kid that wore footed pajamas to school and had a secret language that was later de-coded... and provided a reason for the order.

there i vomited strawberry soda and a betos burrito.

i spent lots of time training here. i played roles such as a cow, a grape, and a ghostbuster.

awesome

2011-09-18T11:49:00.002-06:00

i helped out a poor elder* yesterday who told me in asl that he was going on a condom speaking mission. awesome.

i broke the side view mirror off of my 2011 grown up car. awesome.

because one of the campuses i work on is so large, i bill my boss for camel rides. it was her idea. awesome.

i have braces. awesome.

my iron is missing. like gone. two adults live in this small house and we somehow managed to lose an iron. awesome.

yesterday my baby brother told me that there are still nazis. they are just hiding in the jungle. he spotted one while camping and told me it was red. awesome.

*which in lds jargon means 19-year-old male proselyting missionary, not an older person

the science guy

2011-09-13T21:02:00.000-06:00

today my bio-tech/chem major husband went two hours early with a beaker in hand to meet bill nye. sadly, the student association refused to let mr nye autograph anything so coke will now use the beaker as a pen holder.

thats all.

man, i take cute pictures.

meatless mondays: caprese

2011-09-12T22:57:00.000-06:00

photo

oddly, this is cokes favorite meal. and its easy peasy lemon squeezy. ready?

cut a loaf of crusty bread into crouton size bites and toast in the oven until golden

slice cherry tomatoes in half

add a handful of fresh basil

cut up some mozzarella (mine is usually string cheese cause its whats in the fridge. im fancy like that. )

add a teeny splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar

and try to snatch a few bites before your husband eats the entire bowl.

some things

2011-09-10T12:01:00.000-06:00

i am in love with this notepad.

like toms but shirts!

new york food blogger, phyllis, recounts her 9/11 story. beautiful.

i am totally making this chocolate orange zucchini bread for breakfast. well... whenever i get out of bed.

coke wants to build me this house. the exact model is too shreky for me but the idea is very tempting.

happy weekend kids! are you doing anything in remembrance of 9/11?

1,826 days

2011-09-07T22:32:00.003-06:00

at the louvre (say it loo-v-rah) in may

thats how long i have been married to my coke.

we already celebrated our 5 year mark in europe this summer, but i thought i would give a bloggy shout out to the man i love.

like i said two years ago, "i had no idea i could love mr. jackman more than i did the day i married him."

but then... here we are :)

japanese swan lake

2011-09-06T22:21:00.001-06:00

i studied ballet for 15 years of my life. i kinda love it. while out last weekend (until four in the morning) with bffs rachel and ashley i met a way cool guy who was a waiter/high school teacher/mechanical engineering grad student with six last names that moved out on his own when he was 12 and... get this.... is a ballerina. while in the middle of his shift at ihop he forced me to look up this clip on my phone. and my jaw dropped to. the. floor. you will love it... promise. their interpretation of swan lake and the entire production is phenomenal but if you want to skip to the good parts here you go:

2:19 - 2:33 shut the front door.
2:54 - 3:06 wait... what?
and 3:30 on will have you wondering what editing program they used for this madness.

i would pay one million dollars for my standing arabesque to look like that. swoon.

(see ballerina becca circa 1990 here. a rhyme i wrote about ballet here. what ballet did to my feet here. and read my sytycd name droppin here.)

meatless mondays: b-fast

2011-09-05T19:40:00.001-06:00

so i think i forgot to tell you that i am now teaching at my alma mater. (note the absence.) i teach a sophomore class and so far its been loverly. that means i leave early to commute to interpret at one university and then drive to another to teach before commuting back home and collapsing on the couch. at the end of summer i made two things in order to ensure we get some nutrients before we start the day. (because sometimes dinner turns into mozzarella sticks and a grape limeade while driving.)

i posted a pic in the previous post of energy balls. coke packs his bags for school and work and shoves a few in his mouth as he walks out the door. they taste kinda cookie doughish with an ingredient list that leaves me feeling good.

as you can see in the pic above, i also made kale ice. my faithful readers know that i try to start my day off with a spinach smoothie. read here. since that post i have been trying to add some fun ingredients. so i decided to make some kale ice. i blended tons of kale with tons of spinach and used some super juice (the mlm kind) to get it to a nice and smooth (ish) consistency. i put it in ice trays and froze it and then dumped that into some freezer bags. now every morning i just throw in six small pieces of kale ice, six pieces ice ice, about a cup of milk, half a frozen banana and protein powder into the blender. the beauty of this is that i dont have to worry about keeping fresh kale or spinach or bananas on hand. i know that sounds crazy lazy but it is one less thing to worry about during the week.

so there you go. hopefully these tricks can help you squeeze in a little bit of scrumptious and healthy into your morning routine.

2011-09-05T18:59:00.000-06:00

savoring summer

2011-08-25T20:10:00.000-06:00

this child will be the end of me...

2011-08-24T16:23:00.000-06:00

this is baby el. born to my sister, neena.

anyone know how severely they punish kidnapping in utah?

ps- how nice is the post she wrote about me today? LOVE HER!

weekender: adele

2011-08-23T07:57:00.000-06:00

im kinda really lucky. coke is an exceptional husband. he knew what an adele fan i was so he bought us some tickets within an hour of them going on sale. and its a good thing, too, cause they sold out super fast. they were just on the fridge one day and i was like wha...? it was a fabulous surprise. i told you i was lucky. we decided to make a day of it and played around town. our day is as follows....

we hit up the peoples farmers market (a little late due to a puppy bee sting).

wandered through the international peace gardens. really lovely and made me want to be back in asia. (until a mean man started screaming explicit things to his dog. then it wasnt peaceful or lovely.) i loved all the posts in the middle that had every country listed with "may there be peace in south africa," ... "may there be peace in norway," etc. gave me chill bumps.

wandered around gateway.

ate delicious fish tacos at ztejas.

and walked to the amazing concert.
she is just so dang cute. her cackle kills me. her accent kills me. her being her silly self and playing with the crowd kills me. just love her.
my favorite moment of the whole day was when adele asked who came with their best friend and coke yelled really loud. aww.

meatless monday: chili relleno enchiladaish thingies

2011-08-22T23:20:00.000-06:00

10 small corn tortillas
10 roasted green chilies (canned or fresh)

1 medium onion, caramelized
8 oz package cream cheese
2 tablespoons corn meal
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 bunch cilantro- stems removed
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded cheese
1 can red enchilada sauce

place one chili in each tortilla. mix filling and distribute evenly in tortillas. roll up like enchiladas. top with cheese and red enchilada sauce. bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

enjoy gringas!

fave food

2011-08-20T23:10:00.000-06:00

via

if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

obvious to those who know me- mine is avocado.

miss allison (psst... read to the end)

2011-08-20T01:23:00.000-06:00

this is miss allison. (and my brother. getting photo bombed by coke.)

she has been dating my pilot brother for many years.

she is so dang stylish i cant hardly stand it.

and last year she graduated from school and got her license.

now she is working at the darling salon k and wants to offer the way i am readers a FREE HAIRCUT.

i am convinced that once you get your hair did by her, you will go back again and again.

just call up her salon and let them know you read this blog and want to cash in on a free cut!

make sure to call soon and ask when you call the salon if this offer is still available because it will run out!

happy cutting!

fashion

2011-08-19T11:09:00.000-06:00

some people think that i dont have style, but actually i do.

i just cant find anything i like enough to buy it so i end up in holey boy-cut jeans all the time.

local farmers markets

2011-08-17T13:47:00.000-06:00

the california famers market with my lovely cousin, brittany

they are all over and all the time.

go drink lemonade, people watch, listen to live music, taste goat milk, buy some fresh produce...

soak up the lovely utah summer!

tuesday
downtown alliance 4-dusk

wednesday
the canyons 12-6

thursday
BYU (stadium parking lot) 3-8
pleasant grove 5-9

friday
thanksgiving point 3-7
sandy (10200 s state) 9-3

saturday
provo (pioneer park) 9-2
lehi (1870 n state) 10-1
spanish fork 8-1
happy valley 9-2

sunday
slc peoples market 10-3
park silly 10-5

blogging is for lovers

2011-08-16T14:25:00.000-06:00

today i did a guest post over at blogging is for lovers about my goals for the last few weeks of summer.

click here to visit rachels fun bloggy!

(or click here to read about my undying love for her)

meatless monday: heirloom tomato pie and chocolate beet cake

2011-08-15T22:24:00.000-06:00

fab photo from rachel

this is totally not my recipe but because it was the best thing i have tasted in months, i just had to share.

i did double the mayo cause it was looking a little dry and loved how it turned out.

really do try this and tell me what you think! its my new favorite thing!

Heirloom Tomato Pie
Adapted from Food Network Magazine (July/August 2011)

The Crust

PIE-CRUST-A-PHOBIA VERSION:

Pre-bake a store-bought crust

FEARLESS VERSION:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4/ teaspoon salt

1 stick cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons manchego cheese

Pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the mixture looks like a course meal with pea-sized bits of butter. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough comes together; add 1 more tablespoon water if necessary. Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm.

Put the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 13-inch round. Transfer dough to a 9 1/2 inch deep-dish pie plate. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges. Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups assorted shredded cheeses (I used smoked mozzarella, gouda and manchego)

1/4 cups mayonaise

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Cook onion in olive oil until caramelized. Place in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Spread mixture in baked pie crust.

The Tomatoes

2 1/4 pounds heirloom tomatoes

Kosher Salt

2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced

Thinly slice the tomatoes and toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander. Let drain, about 30 minutes.

Arrange the tomatoes on top of the filling. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with pepper. Bake at 375 degrees until the tomatoes are browned, about 1 hour. Top with basil. Enjoy :)

photo by your favorite girl

dessert, too?

yes ma'am.

i figure while i am stealing recipes i might as well share the link for the chocolate beet cake i made my mother-in-law this weekend. the video is darling. do click over.

mark it with an "l"

2011-08-14T11:17:00.001-06:00

when some pattypat squash showed up in my csa box this week i knew what i had to do with it...

make a mini patty cake for my favorite munchkin.

ps- some things....

-i wish i was coordinated enough to braid my own hair.
-i really think bean bags are stinky and no bueno... and then i saw this knitted version and my world changed.
-i slept through captain america. we thought the change up was darling and coke left feeling inspired.
-damn it. damn it. damn it. remind me why i want to be professional and not rainbow dye my tips?
-coke, my punk ass kid brother, and i went to the water park my orthodontist rented out on friday and i won a free kids meal to del taco. $5,000.00 - $3.99 = a wise investment.
-my dominant hand has been tingly numb for a few days. and its my livelihood. any terps know whats up?

farewell date with will, flav, and rys

2011-08-11T22:02:00.000-06:00

the day before leaving we spent the day with some bffs that we drove to california with but that would not be returning to utah with us.

we...

hung out at the beach

hit up the final-moto-somthinsomthin at the xgames

strolled the santa monica pier

ate delicious sushi (my punk ass kid brother might have eaten the full tray, literally, without realizing that all of our food was on it.)

and when they dropped us off, i did not cry. at all. nope. not at all.

meatless monday: zucchini pizza

2011-08-08T12:40:00.000-06:00

is your zucchini coming in? i know mine is! here is a simple and yummy way to utilize it. i bet kids would have no idea the crust is made of vegetables, although the crust is less like bread and more like a frittata. whatever lovelyness is sprouting from your garden, throw it on. im not quite willing to admit how fast the two of us ate the whole thing. enjoy :)

crust
three cups of zucchini, water squeezed out
three eggs
half cup flour
salt to taste

combine and spread in a greased 9x13. bake for 10 minutes on 450. remove and reduce oven to 350.
then add...

toppings
two and a half cups of mozzarella (add first)
three fourths cup of karnataka olives
one cup of tomatoes
fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

put back in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350.

are you doing meatless mondays? i would love to hear how its going for you!

xoxo

sun tea

2011-08-07T12:23:00.000-06:00

photos by yours truly

heaven

2011-08-05T11:29:00.001-06:00

most of the time living in utah valley and not being mormon is not a big deal. i love utah and i love the people here. that being said, some days are hard. yesterday was one of those days. this song is the closest thing i have found to explaining how it feels.

it is said with love. i just wish the love i put out there made its way back to me.

a post about garbage

2011-08-01T19:58:00.000-06:00

if you are a provo resident, you may have noticed the blue garbage cans showing up this week in your neighborhood.

it's cause provo has decided to automatically give people recycling cans and let them opt out (say come pick up our can) instead of having people opt in (call to request a can.)

although i have heard a few complaints i was THRILLED when i heard about the program.

yes, you do have to pay a whopping $4 a month to participate. but honestly people, we dont even use our black can anymore.

can you do me a teeny favor? we can call it a challenge if you'de like....

leave it for a few months.

put up a second can in your kitchen and office and just see how easy it is.

if at the end of... lets say three months.... you think it's too hard or not worth it, you can opt out with my blessing.

(psst.... but i dont think that will be the case.)

surfin usa

2011-07-28T10:58:00.000-06:00

i will post more later.

pretty much the lesson of the day is that the ocean is a giant washing machine that makes you its bitch.

that being said, we had a delightful time :)

vacay

2011-07-25T11:49:00.000-06:00

i am such a blog slacker.

truth is that i helped my friends will and flav move to granada hills and then headed down the mountain to malibu to spend the week on the beach with my fam. it has been so so loverly and the week is just beginning. i didnt bring my camera to the coffee shop i am posting from, so i only have an phone photo for you. pretty sure it does an adequate job showing you how beautiful this place is. i will post again next time i can peel myself up off the beach and find some internet.

lots of love....

my new fashion statement

2011-07-18T20:49:00.000-06:00

meatless monday: tomatoes and pasta

2011-07-18T00:14:00.000-06:00

again with the super fanciness... so fancy you may get away with calling your honey and getting him/her to throw it in the oven while you drive home.

so you take...

two containers cherry tomatoes (ours were from our csa, but store bought are just fine)
handful of fresh basil (from my little herb garden!)
two cloves garlic

...and spread them on a cookie sheet. top with salt and pepper and oil and vinegar.
stick it in the oven on about 350 for 30 min, or until the tomatoes start bursting.
take it out. stir it all together and pop the little ones that didnt pop on their own.
serve over pasta.

credit due- i first heard of this simple idea from jen

going away party

2011-07-17T12:38:00.000-06:00

so i threw a partay for a few of my bffs who are moving to california. flav was offered the chair of deaf studies position at csun and we are so happy for her! she is taking my sensei with her. i guess thats fair cause they are married and all. i kinda slacked on the picture taking so here are a few under par pics of the event. special thanks to ash, coke and amber for working their cute butts off.

for the people who "touched our lives." i wish i took a pic of after all the fingerprints were on it. it turned out darling!
(psst... my sister in law made it... email me for her info)

the spread. kristine made the cheesecake strawberries. i made the chocolate covered potato chips. coke made the individual fruit pizzas. ash and i made the cake balls. i made my favorite spinach dip. no deaf studies party would be complete with out ingrids spicy cheetos with lime. and there was a huge glorious chocolate fountain that amber put together.

i like these girls lots lots.

coke manning the photo booth. pics to come.

story time with will.

oh her on the left? she is just the chair of deaf studies. no biggie.

my royal highness

2011-07-12T20:58:00.000-06:00

im having some work done on my teeth and jaw this week. because i was having some anxiety today my dentist suggested nitrous oxide. sure.

and suddenly i was a cat.
the dentist kept tapping me and saying, "sweetheart, you need to open your mouth." i wished he would stop tapping me and whoever sweetheart was would just open her mouth.
he said we were going to take a little break to rest my jaw and left the room. i cried the whole time. can we say abandonment issues?
i suddenly needed to throw up and forgot english so i started ripping stuff out of my mouth and pushing the dentist and his assistant away.
i wonder if i was holding my crotch because the dentist suggested i go to the bathroom.
next thing i know i woke up pants down on the toilet.
after everything was over i drove my drunk ass home and ate a few bites of bread.
and threw up four times.
in a sink.
full of dishes.

my daily life

2011-07-10T23:16:00.000-06:00

bloggers are so great at showing you whatever they want to show you of their lives.
and its always sparkling and choreographed.
so today i thought i would post random things about my daily life that are not necessarily blog worthy, but are nevertheless what happens behind the scenes.

every sunday morning coke makes me breakfast in bed. cold cereal.
try as i may there are always dirty dishes in the sink.
ants keep getting in my bathroom.
we have little caesars about once a week.
about two years ago i got the urge to rip down the wallpaper in our guest bathroom. i quit before i finished. proof is on the walls.
i made coke build me a vegetable garden this year. i planted lots of loverly things. coke gets up early and waters it everyday before work because im too spacey/lazy.
i have a vomiting chihuahua.
i cant go one day without talking to my sister on the phone.
i dont mind traffic. coke does.
every night before bed i grab a huge glass of ice water and dont drink it.
coke grabs said water every morning and waters the puppies and herb garden with it.
i lose my wedding ring at least every week. i dont even panic anymore.... just wait for it to show up.
i dont answer my front door. friends know this and call my cell to tell me they are here.

ps- every time you click through this cute online childrens book, a meal is donated to a shelter animal.

summer lovin

2011-07-07T23:17:00.000-06:00

the girls and i on the fourth of july

splore

2011-07-04T11:02:00.001-06:00

my job takes me amazing places.

this week i got to work on the river in southern utah with an amazing group, splore, that makes adventures accessible for people of all abilities.

i met such bad ay people and really hope to be able to work with them again in the future. if you know anyone who may need a few accommodations to do things like rock climb or river raft, i highly suggest checking out this utah based npo. the participants ranged from alcoholic to autistic to quadriplegic. the thing i was most impressed with was the attitude of the whole operation. it could have been highly stressful but everything was just laid back and enjoyable. lots of love and acceptance.

loading up the boats

kenny and carol. their disabilities cause them to speak very slowly. they are crazy smart and i wanted to hear everything they had to say. but i had to wait. it was great for me to slow my ass (his word!) down and just enjoy being with delightful company instead of turning chatting into a race to talk first. oh- and i have never seen two people more in love. they have been married for over 6 years. we call them the love birds.

and i met this total hottie on the trip. i let him sleep in my tent.

sandy, jarrod, and graham. jarrod, 20, was in a terrible motocross accident last year that left him quadriplegic. so he and him mom, sandy, came for a few months from south africa to utilize the great spinal specialists we have in slc. they are really lovely people. graham has short term memory loss (think dori) and my favorite memory of the whole trip was him forgetting which tent was his and crawling into a strangers. he has lived such an amazing life and it was really neat to hear all his stories.

our camp site

interpreting on the river. i havent the fondest idea what non-dominant L pointing up meants. doesnt my job look hard?

reusable produce bags linky

2011-06-30T21:23:00.000-06:00

member a few months ago i showed you that my momma made me reusable bags

and told you how they rocked my world?

design sponge just posted a fab tutorial. check her out.

ps- this little movie that rachel posted is just darling.
pps- if one of these pops up in utah (no freaking way) i would die a lovely death. for reals, click on it. its amazeballs. (via delightful delicacies)

2011-06-27T23:38:00.000-06:00

(image)

"it's like tony blair said: suppose we're wrong, and there's no such thing as greenhouse-gas emissions, and we adopt green technologies. all we've done is give our kids a better planet."
-john mccain

sun(ny)day

2011-06-26T22:29:00.000-06:00

i have had crazy allergies since moving back into our house. so a few days ago i came home to find mr jackman had ripped out all the carpet and started replacing it with wood. it will hopefully be done tomorrow!

because i wasnt able to go to the edmonds art festival with my family last weekend, i made coke take me to the utah arts festival this weekend. it was loverly. sign in the middle was a basket of etchings that said, "kid basket. for sale to kids. *triple price for adults."

we ended our evening with dinner on the patio at eva, our favorite slc restaurant. i liked my view lots.

a few links from the festival
trevin is a beautiful painter that uses his own blood as a medium.
carole, we thought you would love punkenstein jewelry... were we right?
we loved the intricate glass marine creatures by shawn tsai and picked up a jelly fish for my step-dad.

summer

2011-06-22T23:07:00.000-06:00

stephe is taking the picture. not quite sure why he is in it....

we celebrated solstice with ray lamontagne and brandi carlile.

those two kids have mad skills.

we have been loving the extra day light and taking full advantage of it.

did you celebrate summer solstice?

meatless monday: portobello burgers

2011-06-20T23:34:00.000-06:00

served with organic tortilla chips and (homemade!) sweet pea hummus

we are not huge fans of fake meat burgers. they usually dont taste great and whatever they put in the patties to try to make soy taste like meat is enough to say, "no thanks." in lieu we prefer a fatty mushroom. and they are so easy to cook along side what everyone else is eating at a bbq.

easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

about 10 minutes including chopping time.

cook in the oven or on the grill or on the stove, just like you would a burger.

add your favorite burger toppings.

err... thats all folks.

even meat-eaters agree that this is a super hearty meal that leaves no one wishing they had a cow instead.

ow ow

2011-06-20T10:44:00.000-06:00

this weekend my punk ass kid brother was on a 24 hour home visit from his program. we ran to the mall friday night to get him some trunks for a fishing trip with my dad on saturday. while there, we saw an air brush kiosk and knew we had to see if we could punk my dad. our goal was to get him mad enough to throw my brother in the lake. bummer- my dad was totally chill and didnt really care that his 16-year-old son had a "bad girl" tramp stamp.

ps- we had pranking on the mind cause coke pranked his brother so bad this week that a police report was written :)

argh and argh

2011-06-17T23:28:00.000-06:00

dear blogosphere,
this week has been a doozy. on sunday i was at my great aunts house pretending to be a mountain lion when a kitty cat scared me and i jumped. and went down. down. down. dad says it was 12 feet. 12 feet is lots when you are 6 lbs. (6 is bigger than 4 so i am bigger than jetta.) i screamed and screamed and my body didnt move when i told it to move. my mom took me to the puppy emergency room and they gave me shots and iv's and took xrays to figure out why i wasnt moving. the doctor said i slipped a disc out in my back and so my spinal cord was jarred. so i have been resting lots and taking steroids so soon i will be double bigger than jetta. i can walk and run but still no jumping. which is hard when you are three. but getting extra kisses isnt hard when you are three.
love,
wrexie the mountain lion

coke turns 25

2011-06-14T20:20:00.000-06:00

my kid brother took him flying (thanks marky!)

we went indoor surfing. which really meant mr jackman surfed and i got thrown around until i quit.

ow. ow. check out his new ink. pretty right? for his present i got him some time with a crazy talented friend of a friend visiting from charlotte.

then i threw him a water party at my mamas casa with lots of friends. cause we dont need anything i told friends they could gift money to mycharitywater.org in lieu of a gift. (thanks ashley g!) pictured are coke, luca, and stephe. i like these boys a lot.

rich and his baby, jace, taking a break from the pool. lots of babies worth stealing attended the party. lots.

also- we like treats. goldfish, swedish fish, wave cupycakes, WATERmelon, sand cups, fish bowl jello, yellow submarines, spinach dip with WATER chestnuts, sodas and fruits. special thanks to chelle for helping me pull it off!

introducing: meatless mondays

2011-06-13T10:53:00.000-06:00

yall know that coke and i havent eaten meat in a year. people seem amazed and say that they want to but they could never. really, its no biggy. i tell them to start with meatless mondays so they begin to understand how easy it is to give up meat. and yet, people still struggle committing to one day a week because they cant come up with any meal idea that doesnt center around meat. and so i give you a new feature: meatless mondays. i am not a super fancy chef. i cook on a budget and am usually too exhausted at the end of the day to spend lots of time on amazing things. so im just gunna keep it real and show you some notfancy/cheap/fast/sometimeshealthybutsometimesnot meal options. ready. set. go.

huevos rancheros.

fry some corn tortillas (or dont if you want to cut calories)
spread some refried beans on top (or black. or whatev.)
add cheese
then an egg fried over easy
then top with fresh (or store bought) pico (or salsa) and cilantro (because the small amount in pico doesnt satisfy my cilantro cravings)

see how fancy we are around here? not exactly a recipe. more of an idea. make it work for you.

i would love to hear how your meatless endeavors go or what meatless recipes you love!

packing trick

2011-06-09T20:08:00.000-06:00

wow. me likey shadows under my eyes.

in rome one day i wore a slinky dress around my waist for the day to be modest for churches and sites but took off my top and hiked that baby up as soon as the sun set.

advice for my grads. and everyone in the whole world.

2011-06-06T00:41:00.001-06:00

some of my darling students are graduating from high school this year and i have been thinking of the most important thing i have learned in my life and what would bring about the greatest change to those students. as a twenty-four-year-old who hates flossing and doesnt own an alarm clock, i feel i am very qualified to inspire each and every one of you. prepare to be edified....

as a human society we put people in categories: black, wealthy, gay, deaf, jewish, anorexic, et cetera. and there those people stay. what they believe in doenst really matter. who they are doesnt really matter. if society tucks you into the "white, catholic- but living in mormon country, male- but a total fem, computer science major (so did you all write a pact to not shower?), big nose, slight stutter proves what a retard your are, rich parents" category, chances are, you arent getting out any time soon.

its not super hard to recognize that you cannot quite so simply be categorized. and yet we push those standards onto other people. if you are black you sag your pants. if you are a woman you are frail. if you are religious you are kind to everyone. if you are poor you are unhappy. how awful it is to have those stipulations. so here is my advice:

accept. embrace.

love every person regardless of the labels people place on them. remove those labels. get to know who they are. chances are that you have no idea what they have been through and you sure have no right to judge them. if you dont like a person, you probably just dont know them. accept that the person they are is worthy of your respect. this part is key... accept and embrace who you are. not who society wants you to be. not who your parents want you to be. not who your boyfriend wants you to be. who you are. (psst....it will change. and thats okay.) please dont spend your life trying to be something you're not. its a waste of who you are. and you are a beautiful person.

postscript- take words like gay, retard and pussy out of your vocab. your mind already has society telling you that gay people, handicapped people and females are inferior.... dont let you tell yourself that, too.

linky poo

2011-05-29T17:10:00.000-06:00

i dont love plastics but i dont really want to carry around a mason jar either. meet my new water bottle. i bought this 50% post consumer glass water bottle this week and have loved it.

this article about two parents that decided to not reveal the gender of their child was FASCINATING! ("if you really want to get to know someone, you dont ask whats between their legs")

i avoided it as long as possible, knowing my nights would become sleepless. i caved. follow my pins here.

while we are at it, here is my goodreads account.

ps- this week a have a super fun giveaway planned! stay tuned!

(i always come up with rad titles in the night and forget them by morning)

2011-05-28T13:08:00.000-06:00

sorry for the iFin camera quality

my punk ass kid brother has been in a treatment center/rehab/alternative high school for a few months and i have not been allowed to see him. yesterday he turned 16 and was able to come home for a few hours to celebrate. he has grown so much! he is doing so good and i can already see the positive changes he is making. i was in heaven the entire time..... love that boy.

county... lets say "x"... gives back

2011-05-27T10:47:00.000-06:00

im on the right with fuzzy hair. officer jackman is next to me. not a super clear pic. and it sure wasnt taken in 2007.

every year the county officer jackman worked for picks a deserving cause and has an all night softball tournament to raise money. officer hansens wife (love her) organized and sponsored a team last weekend. unbeknownst to me, i was on that team. im totally afraid of balls and am a pansy in the cold. our team played 5 games from 8pm to 9am.
my stats....
game one: hit the ball both times it was pitched to me. got on base once. threw a ball in from outfield.
game two: hid in the dugout buried in blankets.
game three: hid in the car with the heater on.
games four and five: found a warm corner and passed out.

mr jackman ensured his place in my heart by making me this surprise tonight

2011-05-24T22:22:00.000-06:00

oh yes. that is a gravy boat.

this weeks media ratings

2011-05-22T23:48:00.001-06:00

a+ (please add it to your summer reading list)
b+
d

you only thought we were done with europe pics

2011-05-17T22:11:00.000-06:00

a picture says a thousand words. you can see by my outfit what we expected rome to be. you can see by the metro what it is.

some fun deaf friends i met at the colosseum. let the records show--although french sign language and american sign language have a lot in common, italian sign language and american sign language have nothing in common. nada.

one of the gladiators was deaf and insisted on taking our picture and giving us gifts.
combine a love of deaf people with a love of history and you have a very giddy girl.

i was going to be a statue..... but i dont really know what statues do. err.....

oh that? thats the colosseum,

coke had one request for the whole trip and that was to see a castle. turns out there are no castles in paris and rome so we took the train out to the most darling town i have every been to and toured the castle and bummed around the town. i was geeking out.... i made coke take pictures of everything and might have even squealed a few times.

the town carrying on with an effing 10th century castle in the background. my favorite part might have been that people built apartments into the wall guarding the castle. if i ever run away, it will be to bracciano. please dont come find me.

today i

2011-05-16T18:35:00.000-06:00

was late for work. like really late.

hit a kid on a bike with my car.

ate....
b- chocolate covered cherries and sun chips. (remember i was late for work)
l- nasty pizza. dipped in ranch.
snack- root beer float and a very large bag of chili fritos.
other snack- cherry coke.
i feel like the very hungry caterpillar.

got my second parking ticket for parking in faculty parking. now may be a good time to remind you that i am faculty.

tried to buy my sisters goat but she refused to do business with me.

dropped a dresser on my toe.

Catacombs, Coffee, Cruise

2011-05-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

catacombs of paris. the bones of 6 million people are decorating the mines underground. creepy and cool.

for reals though. the french know how to do coffee.

on our last night in paris i surprised coke with a dinner cruise on the seine. we were able to see the city of lights illuminated...
it was a lovely finale to a fabulous city.

picture dump

2011-05-13T21:44:00.004-06:00

first of all, yall are punks. last time i write you a european quiz. i updated the post below with my answers. not that you care.

the louvre. winged victory was my favorite piece (its my moms, too!)

versialles was of course gorgeous. we took an ice cream break in the famous gardens.

crepes for dinner. yum.

the scenery was amazing. im pretty lucky.

ciao bella

2011-05-13T21:44:00.003-06:00

stranger danger.
i am back.

after my last post we obviously had issues connecting with the blogosphere again. it may or may not have to do with me blowing out power to the whole hotel and them refusing to give us power again. please notice in the rest of the pictures what happens when i dont have access to a flat iron. sweet.

dont you worry your little heart. you are about to be bombarded with crazy amounts of posts. as it so happens, i am moving back into my house this weekend so i will let you take a quiz and spare you the madness for a few more hours. and if you click "mark all as read" it just wont phase me one bit. time to get breakfast burritos and tweak my back. love.

True or False…
1- All of Paris smells like pee.
2- The rest of the world doesn’t like Americans and doesn’t agree with our military actions in the Middle East.
3- European waiters are ay holes.
4- Every single Parisian smokes.
5- While Paris has taken a hit from all the tourism, Rome has managed to stay clean and orderly.
6- As soon as you sit in a restaurant you will have sparkling water in your glass and a bread basket. You will pay for them both.
7- Frenchies quite enjoy having sex wherever they feel like it.
8- You have to pay to use the restroom in Europe.
9- It is safe to be Arian and in the middle of two African tribes arguing in the streets.
10- Fine cheese is dusty cheese.
11- Vatican City is a holy place where thousands of people can simultaneously worship and enjoy the beauty therein.
12- Public transit and smart cars get the job done.

1- Nope. Paris is a lovely place. Besides Montmartre, (the original bohemia where Moulin Rouge still is) the city smells great.

2- We only told a few people that we were from America (its hard to hide when you are using American Sign Language) and we were shocked when they immediately were cheering and congratulating us for the recent action in the Middle East. They thought what our troops were doing was noble and right.

3- Not really. Restaurants hire only full time waiters and do not bring in additional staff during busy times. They are not tipped, so whatever they are going to make, they are already going to make. They are very hard working and although they don’t have time to schmooze you, they will get you taken care of.

4- True. We were the only people in the entire city without a cigarette in our hands.

5- Err…ugh… It wouldn’t be hard for an organization like the Mafia to take over the city of Roma if they wanted. The whole place was covered in graffiti and trash; completely rundown. Metros would close early if they were so inclined. Everyone pretty much did whatever the hell they wanted to do. That being said, we never felt we were in danger. Mostly I was sad about the absence of “the man” in regards to ancient Rome and the fact that it wasn’t treasured and restored as it should have been.

6- True. We couldn’t even finish asking for tap water before the seal was already broken on the bottle, ensuring our payment for it.

7- Although we were only there for four days, we looked long and hard (Eiffel Tower at midnight on a Friday) for it and never found it.

8- Not only did we not pay for such a service, we didn’t even see the service offered. We used the facilities at museums and cafes that we were patrons of and never had to pay. (Phew. We paid for everything else!)

9- True. We slept in a predominantly African (not black French…. African) neighborhood and no one really gave a crap that two white kids were there.

10- Yup. We tried lots of cheese and enjoyed it, but the more fuzz growing on it the more they like it. I loved participating in their love of cheese but will probably continue to make the mild muenster my cheese of choice in The States.

11- The people at the Vatican were terribly disrespectful and we had such a lousy time we ended up leaving early.

12- They sure do. We took mostly the metro with an occasional train or bus and loved how fast and efficient they were. How great would it be to live in a city that didn’t require you to have a car?

deaf school (day 2)

2011-05-06T16:24:00.001-06:00

after notre dame we were able to take a private tour of the deaf school in paris. (pause. we actually went to the deportation memorial. i was the only person crying and we are pretty sure people thought it was because my boyf and i were breaking up and had no idea they were standing on top of a memorial that pays tribute to gay, deaf, and jewish french citizens. play.) american sign language has strong roots at that school thanks to laurent clerc and thomas gallaudet. the abbe de l'eppe began teaching sign language here and his vision has had a tremendous impact on the deaf community here in america. i had chill bumps the entire time i was there and am pretty sure the woman who walked us around thought i was kinda crazy. i kinda am.

first book written by de l'epee on teaching deaf people

tour de (deaf school of) france

l'epee

bebian. like him.

sicard. not on my top five.

it was super fun to try to communicate between french, english, american sign language and french sign language. i shot a video while i was there and it shows just how pretty slash skilled at sign language i am. i will post it later. you are in for a treat.

notre dame (day 2)

2011-05-06T15:58:00.000-06:00

i was super impressed with notre dame. it was just gorgeous and magical. i was giddy the whole time i was there. it was fabulous to read about the history of the place and take in all its glory. super impressed, gorgeous, magical, fabulous.... pretty sure i have run out of words to tell you how much i loved it. one million pictures to follow....

day one

2011-05-03T21:50:00.000-06:00

we got into paris and hit the streets running.

first, we took a stroll down rue cler and packed a yummy picnic.

then we went to the army museum and napoleans tomb (but didnt enter cause they wouldnt sell us the museum pass) so we hopped over to rodin and we the first people they didnt let in. boo. so we walked our little butts up champs elysees to the arc de triomphe. of course there was a commencement so it was closed.

so we grabbed some juice and called it a night. we are at least oriented in paris and have mastered the metro after only a few wrong turns.

time for sleep (its 4:30 am) muah.