Quote of Thanksgiving.

Mom: "Oh no, we forgot to say a blessing over Thanksgiving dinner."

Grandpa: "Oh my God."

Uncle: "Well, dad just did."

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

I'm reading it again.

And no one can stop me.

I'm not obsessed. Really.

Today I made the trek down to Orange County to visit with my grandparents for Thanksgiving.

I am very excited for this.

Tomorrow we are going to Balboa Island.

And all my poor holiday heart can think of is the ambrosia I will be eating on Thursday. . and Thursday night before bed. . and friday for breakfast, and then a snack, and then another snack, and a side dish, and dessert.

If you don't know ambrosia as more than a band, you should look it up.

Delicious.

Anyway, I got into my car this morning, and Sufjan Stevens Christmas was playing on my ipod already. I've gotten a little burned out on this album because it's been the only Christmas music I've allowed myself to listen to pre-Thanksgiving.

I started this pre-Thanksgiving binge about a month ago.

I realized that I hadn't listened to The Beatles for a good week or two, so I decided to put them on shuffle.

Then I decided to keep them on shuffle.

The whole trip.

Seven and a half hours.

It's was wonderful.

The only song that repeated was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. I attribute that to the fact that not only is it on SPLHCB, but it's also on Yellow Submarine. My poor shuffle didn't even know what it was doing to me.

This is what will get me in.

This is what I wrote in response to the first prompt for my personal statement. Basically the question was how did you decide on your major.

Everyone tell me that it is super good. It will make me feel less nervous.

"I did not choose Media Studies as my major. It chose me. I fought it hard for two years. As a high school student, I dreamt of being an artist, and showing the world beauty through my creative expression. I wanted nothing more than to live in a cardboard box held together with twine and decorated with glitter and acrylic paint.

My journey to accepting my fate started my first semester at Diablo Valley College. I enrolled in English 122—the basic English class every student has to take if they ever hope to transfer. There I found my voice and my love of writing. I discovered ways to convey my message not through paint and graphite, but words--beautiful words full of history and elegance. Here my fight began. My teacher would often use my papers as examples for other students, and talk to me after class about how I should pursue writing. I ignored this and reminded myself that I was an artist.

My next challenge came the following semester in my Philosophy class. Here I learned how to reason and persuade through words. I wrote over twenty papers for the class. Again, my teacher had nothing but praise. I was confused. My whole life I wanted to create, and while my art teachers treated me as nothing more than mediocre, my Philosophy and History teachers told me that I was something special, and that I needed to pursue writing and the study of human nature.

I met the teacher that finally changed my mind in the spring of 2009--just eleven months ago. John Hanecak walked into my speech class the first morning and asked those who were afraid of public speaking to raise their hand. I looked around, my hands folded in my lap, and realized that I was the only one without a hand raised high. He looked in my direction, smiled, and nodded. Over the next four and a half months, I thrived. Giving speeches came like breathing.

On my final day of class, I finished my last speech and walked up to my teacher to receive my grade. He was grinning from ear to ear and told me what an honor it was to have me in his class. He said I was one of the best speech students he had ever had. As I walked away with my grade in hand, I read the note he had written on my paper, "Consider speaking in any field you are in. You will make such an important impact, as you have done here".

Feeling that it was too late to change my major, I said goodbye to my friends and family, packed my belongings and moved to Southern California to attend Cal State Fullerton and pursue art. I lasted two weeks. I knew it was wrong. I moved back home, got my old job back, and began plans to study not art, but writing, and speaking, my passions.

As all humans, I was born with multiple talents, but now I know the one that shines brightest is my ability to communicate with others—for after all, what is art but conveying a message, and I am an artist."

Sorry.

I promise I haven't stopped blogging.

I just haven't been with my computer very much this weekend.

Okay, that was a lie.

College kid.

I applied.

*ring ring*

I will soon need to purchase a Christmas ringtone.

I need ideas.

Please help.

God Jul.

The Swedish Christmas Fair is nearly upon us.

December 5th.

It's one of my favorite days of the year.

I love a good hair day.

This is the best thing I have ever seen.

http://www.thinkofthe.com/products/lunch_bag.php

Pick up yours today.

When a person is in fashion, all they do is right.

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."

-Mark Twain

I'm going to look fabulous tomorrow.

I've already decided.

In the darkness of my night, in the brightness of my day.

I have a really great boyfriend.

Today I found out that tuition for school is going to go up 32% by next fall.

That's 32% I won't have.

I cried a little.

But he told me that it would be okay.

And I believe him.

Please oh please oh please oh please. . .

Does anyone else secretly hope that when they step out of the elevator they will have been transported to another world?

I hope that.

Every time.

They took some honey, from a tree, dressed it up and they called it me.

Does anyone else have those days when they eat one too many spoonfuls of creamed honey?

That is my day.

Right now.

Quote of the day

"I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal."

-Jane Austen

I might kiss you on the back of the neck, because it's Christmas time.

I have to respect this.

Christmas lights before Thanksgiving.

It's a bold move, but I like it.

He's a dedicated follower of fashion.

After work today I walked over to Peet's Coffee to get my daily fill of Winter Solstice, and wait for my boyfriend to get off of work.

I always sit at the bar so I can look out the window and people watch.

I saw this man, and without so much as a blink, grabbed my camera.

I think he thinks he was having a good day.

But I think he more just looks like a cross between these two people.

Remember, tip your waitresses.

I have lost all faith in the youth of America.

Today at work I had responsible, nice, pleasant young girls sit at one of my tables. They were about 14 or 15. . .give or take.

They each ordered a lemonade, which surprised me since it costs 3.25, but I rang it up. Then they each ordered an entree, not off the lunch menu, so it was pricey (as pricey as my glorified fast food restaurant can get), and to finish it off they split a chocolate soufflé.

Their bill was sixty dollars.

Now, I expected the tip they were going to leave me to not be so great. It was obviously what was going to happen.

I picked up their bill, and they asked for change.

Their change was four dollars.

I still had faith and thought, maybe they just want to figure out the tip after.

Nope.

No tip.

Zero.

They are old enough to know that is really rude.

And so, because of this, I am convinced that they will all grow up to be waitresses and realize the error of their ways. OR I'll run into them in a dark ally, and I will make sure they realize the error of their ways.

The end.

A family of trees wanted to be haunted

This is how I spent my weekend.

Taking pictures is makin' memories.

I've had an itch to do a photo story of my average day.

Maybe this will happen today.

Maybe not.

But I have an itch.

Guilt.

. . .I might have had a few bites of ice cream also. . .

Midnight Snack.

Terrible idea: barely eating anything all day so that when you get home at midnight, you can do nothing but stuff your face.

I stuffed mine with peas.

And a pear.

This will help my guilt in the morning.

Verse of the day.

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

-Isaiah 43:25

The Beatles.

Oh my goodness.

Unused Beatles album art up for auction.

I need money.

Fast.

Please. . . try and think outside the trending news box

I'm sure you've all heard Carrie Prejean's interview on Larry King.

I can't talk about it.

I'm actually trying not to think about it right now.

But, I really can't let go of the fact that when asked who her hero was, she responded with Sarah Palin.

I mean, I have nothing again Sarah Pailn whatsoever. She seems like a very nice person, and contrary to popular belief, she is not actually stupid. That notion is ridiculous. She is probably smarter than the whole city of Antioch combined.

Although, it is ridiculous that she is Carrie Prejean's hero.

Really Carrie? No one else? You couldn't think of anyone else? At all? No one?

Are you sure?

Here is a list of acceptable people you can call your "hero"

Martin Luther King Jr.

(or for reformed Christians, just plain ol' Martin Luther)

Mother Theresa

Winston Churchill

Anne Frank

Isaac Newton

Helen Keller

People who have served in war

Jesus

The Wright brothers

Teachers

Walt Disney

Larry King

. . . I could go on.

Saying that Sarah Palin is your hero, is like saying that your favorite car is a 2010 Prius.

There hasn't been enough time to test it out yet.

So Carrie, the next time you decide that you are really important, and that you should write a book. . . maybe you should go practice your bulimia.

(I'm sorry. Is that offensive? Am I allowed to say that?)

Verse of the day.

"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind."

-Isaiah 42:6-7a

Veterans Day 11-11-09

Thank You

Stay in bed, float upstream.

For the past two Wednesdays I have been attending a spinning class at my gym.

It is terrible, and it makes you want to die, but then after, you feel so great about yourself and you get it in your head to go again next week.

I imagine it's a little bit like how mothers choose to have more children, and go through the labor process again.

My body said no today. It overslept. I took this as a sign that I should just stick to my regular elliptical exercising.

I don't know where I'll get my weekly dose of R&B songs now, but I suppose I'll manage.

We have a winner.

I was actually quite mistaken.

The winner of the movie quote game in the blog post below is my good friend Jani.

She has decided to forgo her Christmas cookies, and has asked to participate in Swedish drinking songs instead.

I will gladly bestow her prize upon her in closer to Baby Jesus birth, when drinking songs are more appropriate.

Note: I have no idea who the man in that photo is, but I do know that he is Swedish, drinking, and perhaps even singing about drunk Santa.

Verse of the day.

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." -Isaiah 41:13

Prior to this summer, my very best friend, Maria and I had been reading the same passage in the Bible every night. This kinda ended for me when school ended, because all structure in my life also ended. With winter approaching and school beginning again in a few months (and I should just be reading my Bible in general anyway) we are starting back reading together.

I could not be more excited.

If anyone would like to join us, tonight was Isaiah 41. . . if you couldn't tell.

Say, lend me a coat.

My family turned on our heater for the first time this season.

Madeline came bounding down the stairs and declared that it smelled like Christmas.

I whole heartedly agree.

It's that time of year. . . when the world celebrates Christmas too early.

"Oh I completely understand! It's not anything you did. It's like a magic that happens when the stars and your closet are aligned. I feel like the days when your outfit is outstanding are the days that it doesn't look like you are trying to be vain"

-Maria Hilton

I have always reserved this red shirt for after thanksgiving. It's a very Christmas worthy top, and I am a bit of a nazi when it comes to how holidays should be celebrated--I am the expert after all.

But I have fallen a great fall.

Not only did I wear my red shirt far too much in advance, but I have also listened to Christmas music. . . all day.

*Sigh*

"I must stop Christmas from coming. . . but how?"

(plate of Christmas cookies to the first person who can tell me what movie the above quote is from)