I'm Looking California, but Feeling Minnesota

More randomness.......

1. I got a lot of good studying done today. YAY! I finished GI & I am such a dork b/c I love GI!!! I guess that's a good thing b/c I am going to be a GI surgical oncology PA (liver, specifically). ;)

2. I absolutely LOVE the new wine glasses that my sis got me. It is so nice to be drinking wine out of proper and nicer wine glasses. It's been one of those things I have been wanting, but just never got around to buying. LOVE THEM! They are classically beautiful, perfectly weighted, & they actually let the wine BREATH. Someday I truly want to be a wine snob. I do. Seriously. I knew I should have taken that wine class when I was at Cornell. shucks! Oh, but the bad thing about these properly sized red wine glasses....I sometimes pour too much. Hubby calls it an "Alli glass." I'm not a wino. I swears!













3. With the new Jukes, we are enjoying some good tunes. Thanks to ETK & Hubby, I am currently (and quite behind) REALLY loving the Garden State Soundtrack. Now I just need to buy the movie & some of the bands that are on the soundtrack. I heart Frou Frou!!

4. Speaking of music.... The title of this blog, for those of you that don't know or remember, is a line from an old Soundgarden song. I loved Soundgarden (still do)!!! Doesn't Chris Cornell have an amazing voice? I don't know what exactly the song means, but I think that is how I feel sometimes...

5. I'm bummed.... I was invited to 2 New Years parties this year, and I won't be going to either one. AND both are friends I haven't seen in forever. I need to be a party pooper this year so I can stay focused. 9 more days.....then freedom..... Then I can be social again. ;)

6. I like numbering things.

Brown Eyed Girl Christmas 2007

Photos from my family & Hubby's Texas family Christmas. Unfortunately, dumb me forgot to charge my battery & didn't bring the back up at my 'rents' house...so less pix. Anywho, enjoy!

Hope you all have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Techy Dorky Coolness

Dear Blog,
(This is how Hubby thinks I start my blogs)

I love my new toy! It is so way cool. I am so going to turn heads & everyone is going to wish they had one, too. Don't you all wish you were cool like me? Envy me.

Just kidding!!!

Anywho, it's fun! I love it! Hubby & I both got the red one. Very snazzy!

Maybe I will turn into that techy dork I always aspired to be.

;p

Today's Randomness: Brought to you by the letters P & M & S

Studying for my board exam and Christmas time is soooo not a good mix. It has been very difficult to stay focused, and the past week there has been little studying. Due to this and my tendancy to FREAK & STRESS out over such major exams, I have rescheduled my exam to Tues. Jan 8th. Perhaps some may think that postponing it 4 extra days is silly, but I don't care what those "some" think. If the 4 extra days to study helps me and eases my freaking-out-ness, then that's what I need. So there. ;p So I have 11 more days to study. I can't wait to get it over with!!!

So, I got my revised acceptance letter from the hospital I will be working at. The good thing about the letter is I am making a little more than they initially told me. But the bad thing..... due to the lengthy process of getting nationally certified, state licensed, and hospital credentialed, they gave me a start date of March 14th. Bummer. But if all of that business is completed earlier, then I can start earlier. MAN I HOPE SO! I really want to start working in February so I can get a jump on my new career and so I can start earning money again. It has been over 2.5 years since I have brought home a paycheck. ug. AND I HAVE A LOT OF LOANS TO PAY OFF!!! Working during PA school is nearly impossible and HIGHLY frowned upon. So I didn't. When I wasn't in class or clinic/hospital, I was studying my tail off. Anywho, if it does take forever to get all of my documents finalized, then I may have to get a temporary part-time job after my board exam. Any ideas where I should look/apply?????

The hubby & I made a desicion that we are now no longer letting the pets in any of the bedrooms. They have been banned from the guest bedroom & workout room for a long time, but now they are no longer allowed in our bedroom either. There was just too much fur & dust & chaos. The master bed & bath is supposed to be a sanctuary, not a zoo nor allergy city. Hubby is so wonderful. He did a THOROUGH cleaning & dusting of our bed & bath. It is clean & pet free. We have reclaimed our sanctuary! The door stays shut & the pets stay out! No more cats in the bed! No more dog/cat fur tumble weeds there. Sorry pets, but we had to do it. We still love you. But you sleep downstairs now.

Final random thought of the day: I hate PMS. I wish men knew just how bad it can be sometimes. The cramps, the headaches, the bloating, the moodiness. They just don't understand the torture us women go through on a montly basis. It sucks. (p.s. this was by no means a negative towards hubby....just want to make that clear.)

Anywho, I hope all of you are still enjoying your holidays. As for me, well, I am back to the books today. I mean it this time & it's possible my blogging may continue to be lacking. My apologies in advance to those of you that care. :)

Toodles!

These are a few of my favorite things

We had a very busy, but good Christmas. There was a lot of cooking and baking and family time and eating and gifts and eating some more. We spent Christmas Eve at my parents' house with my sisters and their families. Christmas Day was spent at Hubby's mom's & step-dad's house with all the siblings and their families. Christmas festivities at my 'rents included helping Mom with cooking, playing with the cutie nephews, the boyz playing Bocci Ball & Bee-bee gun target shooting, listening to iPod Christmas tunes, watching Dad's train go 'round the beautiful Christmas tree, watching the wild deer run through the wooded areas & EATING lots of delicious turkey & stuffing & potatoes & rolls & pistachio salad & cookies & pie. How am I not 500 pounds now? Christmas festivies at Hubby's was a little different this year. The Boys decided they wanted to give their mom a break with the cooking, and so we did a potluck Christmas. Hubby & I made the mashed potatoes & pistachio salad and brought some rolls. There was sooooo much good food once again. Again, how am I not a million pounds? Gift exchange at his house this year was gifts for the kiddos and the adults participated in a White Elephant or also known as Dirty Santa gift exchange. My Dirty Santa gift is a Best Buy gift card (sa-weet!) and Hubby ended up with a surfing video game where you actually get on a plastic board that is plugged into your TV???? That could be funny to watch....if he uses it. ;)

We had a great Christmas, but man, I am pooped.

OK....party's over....back to some SERIOUS board's studying. I only have 9 days left until the monster exam! EEK!

Weekly Words' Challenge (WWC) brough to us by Tink over at Pickled Beef.

This weeks' words are PINK and TRADITION.

PINK

Some of the gifts from Hubby were PINK bath & body/good smellies...

TT got me this lovely Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. Very cute!

TRADITION

Mom & Dad's beautiful tree & train.

Hubby & my lil' Charlie Brown tree.

The words for next week are Brown and Pattern.

If you haven't joined the fun, go here for details.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Let your heart be light!

I hope you all have a great Christmas!

xxxooo

The Most Wonderful Time of Year

My response to a recent discussion over that CNN article I posted about below:

Christ is the reason for the season:
Isn't it ironic just how SENSITIVE our nation has become with not wanting to offend anyone that "we" end up offending many. When did things get so complicated? Sometimes it makes me not want to turn on the TV or read the internet.

Giving is ok:
I think giving to our family and friends this time of year is a great thing, especially if for the right reasons. It's the idea of giving, not the actual gift, that means the most. Giving to charitable organizations is also a good thing. Whether it is simply donating clothes or food or volunteering or giving a monitary contribution. We can all give a little in our own way.

It's not about material goods:
We do live in a world of such excess. We want more & more and have become so insatiable. There is never enough. For many living that kind of life, it just makes them more unhappy. I at times think I could do with less, but then again, compared to many people I know, I am doing pretty good. I try hard not to let material things be the key to my sustained happiness, because I know it simply isn't what makes me happy. I do admit, though, it is difficult at times to not fall into the material wants traps. Especially in this state. Everyone here wants bigger more luxurious cars, bigger, fancier homes, huge flat screen TVs & all the latest techy stuff, couture clothing, fine dining, etc. People that chase these things the most, seem to be the least happiest with their lives. Interesting. I really & truly don't want to end up like that.

Grinches & Scrooges:
One thing that does bug me about this time of year is how GROUCHY and MEAN people can be on the roads & in the stores/malls. I was merging in traffic the other day & this woman IN A MINIVAN of all things, was screaming obscenities to me. Apparently my merging in front of her was a huge inconveinence to her and her shopping. How do these people live with themselves? It's unfortunate that they act like that at all, let alone this HOLY time of year.

Anywhoodles....

I have a lot to be thankful for. I am grateful for my wonderful family and friends. I am fortunate to have a bright future. I am blessed with good health. What more could one ask for?

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season & Happy New Year.

Merry CHRISTmas to all!

xxxooo

Maui Snorkel Pics

We used an underwater disposable camera & unfortunately, not many came out. The ones that did are poor quality. Oh well.

I couldn't agree more!!!!

Great article!

CNN Commentary: You can't take Christ out of Christmas

Random Pics for the Day

Probably not a good combo....

YAY! More Marci Pics! Isn't she the cutest & growing so fast!
She is a whole 7 lbs now!

I can haz politician?

I will hug him & squeeze him & call him george.

How kans you not luvs me?

Hana Hou!

One of the special things about staying at the KBH in Maui is there is a FREE nightly Hawaiian music and hula show. The band that plays is the Lanui Band and is fronted by the great Rudy Aquino. His wife and daughter participate in the hula show. We enjoyed them so much & couldn't wait to see them again on this past trip. Unfortunately, because the first half of our trip was stormy, there was no nightly show. But finally, when it all cleared we go to see the show. It was great! He played some popular Hawaiian songs and even some Christmas songs, including "Mele Kalikimaka" and an humorous Hawaiian version of the 12 days of Christmas. And much to Hubby & my delight, especially since this trip was my grad gift/early anniversary gift, Rudy and gang played a lovely version of our wedding song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (we danced to an acoustic version on Kapalua beach at our wedding & to IZ's version at our H-town reception). I got part of it on video. I wish I had taped all of it, especially since Rudy told Hubby & I that this was his last year playing at the KBH. :( He bought property in the Cook Islands and will be moving there soon. I guess we'll have to stalk him & take a vacation there sometime to watch him play again. He made it sound like a great place to visit, as it is similar to Hawaii. Rudy will definitely be missed in Maui!



And I found their hula show on YT, but it isn't Rudy singing that night.

Weekly Words Challenge

This week's WWC words supplied by Tink over at Pickled Beef are WHITE and LIFE.

Hubby's white MINI Cooper S

White seafoam of Maui

My white coat ceremony when I started PA school

Pretty white flower

Hawaiian life
















Hawaiian Honu

My nephew the day he was born

The words for next week are: Tradition and Pink

Because of the holiday, the pictures for next week won't be due until Wednesday.

If you haven't joined the fun, go here for details.

Thanks for the Memories!

These past 2.5 years have been full of a lot of studying and stress and hard times, Blood (not mine but...well...you know), Sweat & Tears, but we managed to fit some fun in there. I have made some great friends and created a lot of great memories. We went through A LOT together & I think we will forever remember that. I will forever be grateful for the friends I have made. They have definitely helped make PA school an enjoyable experience. I truly hope we stay in touch! Thanks guys! Much love & hugs to you!

Thanks for the memories!

<

"The Eyes of Texas are Upon You...."

That was sung, in UT tradition, at my graduation Friday night.

Here is a nice message my Mom wrote on our (private) family blog:

"Almost as soon as she got off the plane from Hawaii, Alli graduated last night from UTMB Galveston. She was awarded two honor's society awards and an award for best power point presentation for final research project. The commencement speaker, from Chicago, mentioned that this class was the most diverse, ethnically, of any she had seen, and that the "persona" of this class was just a huge HEART! They were encouraged to remember, first: social justice, and second: those who could- please! go into teaching, since they are expecting a huge shortage in this profession... Hopefully, she will post the pic of herself at the microphone from the banquet the night before. When I first saw it, I thought she had been invited to sing. ("and now a short song by our very own Alli....") Alli said that would not be likely. Happy/sad times as the class realized after all the hard times they went through together, most will never see each other again as they spread out around the country. Then we were off to the Hotel Galvez for dinner. ummmmmm good. [Hubby] is glad to have his wife back. (of course the next three weeks will be hard core studying for her boards.) Then a month or so waiting for certification, which means the job might not start until early March, she was told."

Thanks for the nice post, Mom!

It has been a busy week and half: graduation trip to Maui (read about it here), breakfast with the faculty Thursday morning (this is where I was awarded with best master's research platform & inducted into the Alpha Eta Honor Society and the Pi Alpha Honor Society), then our graduation banquet Thursday night at the Downtown Club in Houston, and finally graduation Friday late afternoon finished with that delicious dinner with Hubby, Mom, & Dad at the historic Hotel Galvez in Galveston.

It's been a busy 2.5 years with a lot of hard work, a lot of stress, and also a lot of great times and great memories. I have a learned a great deal, and yet this is just the beginning of my education as a physician assistant. I have a lifetime of learning ahead of me & I am excited about it. Also, as Mom said, the next few weeks will be full of crazy studying for my board exam and hopefully will be working by February or March at UTMDACC. So, I can't exhale just yet.

It's been a blast & I am greatly looking forward to what my future as a PA holds for me....

More graduation pics here.
Banquet pics here.

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say....

.......On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day,

That's the island greeting that we send to you

From the land where palm trees sway,

Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright,

The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night,

Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way To say "Merry Christmas to you."

It was interesting to be in Hawaii during Christmas time. It's kinda funny to see Christmas decorations in a place that is so tropical. We heard Mele Kalikimaka quite a bit & loved it every time (often singing along). Although, I must admit, it still reminds me of that goofy scene in Christmas Vacation.

Anywho, as I said before, we had a great time, but things didn't go quite as planned. The first half of our vacation was in the midst of one of Maui's worst storms in many years. Thankfully we weren't on the side of the island (the east side which is the rainy side) that experienced mud slides and major power outages. We didn't lose power & filled our time shopping, eating, shopping some more, eating some more, etc. :) On the last rainy day, we spent time in the Maui Aquarium. THEN....FINALLY....The sun came. awwww. The beautiful Maui sun and beaches. There is nothing like it. We stayed in Ka'anapali at Maui's "most Hawaiian hotel" which is on a beautiful stretch of beach. In fact, Ka'anapali beach is known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I recommend that if any of you ever head to Maui, stay in Ka'anapali to experience the beautiful beach. There are many hotels and condos to chose from. We are partial to KBH, although not 4 or 5 stars or fancy schmancy by any means, b/c it is so Hawaiian, staff is great, free nightly hula/music show, and has one of the best stretches of beach! They also have great vacation packages, have a beautiful goodbye ceremony for EACH guest, and have great packages for return guests. Because we were return guests and were celebrating, we got a free room upgrade, great deal on the room, breakfast every morning, & rental car. We arrived to champagne in our room & half way through our stay they gave us a little gift basket with plumeria bath & body products. Turn down service every night with yummy macadamia cookies. The ocean (from partial to full) & courtyard views are beautiful!

OK, back to what we did. So, like I said, the sun finally came out & we got our beach on! Lots of laying on the beach. A snorkeling trip to the Molokini crater & Turtle town were we saw a lot of pretty fishies & sea turtles & we saw some whales in the distance. That was probably one of my favorite part of the trip. We also went on an evening cocktail whale watch cruise, however, it is the very beginning of whale season in Hawaii, so we only saw a few in the distance. We saw SO MANY back in the 2005 wedding trip (one even breached RIGHT NEXT TO OUR BOAT, remember that, ETK??? AWESOME!!!) Also, lots of great foods & fruity drinks & DEE-LICIOUS pineapple. MMM! I swear, the pineapple in Hawaii is amazing! Oh, and more shopping (we shopped WAY to much. I think hubby & I have a T-shirt addiction.) And hubby surprised me with another graduation gift that I have been wanting & is great for traveling & casual days.

Unfortunately, on our last full evening in Maui, I became HORRIBLY ill. I am assuming I had food poisoning & won't go into the details, but I really thought I was dying. It was awful. I have never been in so much pain, seriously. I almost had hubby take me to the hospital. It. was. that. bad. Anyway, I got some OTC meds & gatorade in me and improved by the next morining. THANKFULLY. We spent our last morning resting in the sun & then took an over night flight home. Again, thankfully I was feeling better. I ate very little that day as to have no issues on the plane. It wasn't the best way to end a trip. Oh well. For the most part, despite the rain, not getting to do several things we wanted to do, & my short-almost-dying illness, we really did have a good time. We were sad to leave, but I must admit, it is good to be home again. We'll just have to go back again sometime....perhaps not in December, though. ;)

Now I just have to graduate tonight & get back into SERIOUS study mode for my PA board exam. Back to life. Back to reality.

But I can still dream of Maui.

More pics here.

I'm Back......

But too tired to blog.

We had a great time in Maui. It didn't go completely as planned, but had a good time none the less. Details & pics to come. I promise.

I have a lot going on this week, so blogging may be at a minimum. I have a little thing called graduating from PA school this week. No big deal, eh?

So....more later.

Stay tuned.

Weekly Words Challenge

This week's WWC words supplied by Tink over at Pickled Beef are ORANGE and LANDSCAPE.

This is what one looks like after working several 12 hour night shifts in the ER. See the ORANGE ear plugs? Not what you'd call a sleeping beauty. I have no idea how the bed got all mangled.

Hubby working hard in the field.

My parents' lovely landscaping at the Colfax Cottage.


The old New York Bliss farm house




Our humble little townhome yard. It's small, but it's ours.

This last one is a cheat as it is not mine, but it is a beautiful orange Maui sunset which I will be seeing VERY soon.....

Baby's Gotta Brand New Toy

Video added!

Thanks ETK! He loves it. I think it's his favorite Bday gift. ;)

Dear God, I didn't mean today

Near the end of my afternoon 3 mile run, I nearly had my Jeff Corwin moment.

I was doing my cool down walk when I almost stepped on a 3 foot snake that was chillin on the sidewalk outside of my house. My first reaction was a little scream that I stopped mid scream with my hand over my mouth. Yes, even this former snake handler can be startled by snakes. I handled mostly conditioned pythons, not wild Texas snakes.

My second reaction, go into the house & grab the camera!

I came back out and the snake had gone into the grass & then quickly slithered into my neighbor's shrub. So, then I had to go get the broom to coax it out of the bush for pictures. I had to take pictures! Duh! (I didn't even know at this point if it was venomous...I know, I'm an idiot.)

I'm not an expert, but it looks like a constrictor of some sort, perhaps a rat snake (not a venomous viper).

How cool is that! And no, I didn't kill it & Jen, I think it would take a MUCH bigger bird to eat this lil guy. ;)

UPDATE: I think it might be a water snake: Nerodia erythrogaster

Let me tell you a story

Once upon a time there was a young teenage girl who was a late bloomer. She was smart, funny, and always had a lot of friends. She was a little bookish, a member of the honor society, the latin club, the theatre club, and was also a cheerleader. Although she was a cheerleader with a lot of friends, she was quite the wall flower. When it came to dating boys, she was very shy. She only had one boyfriend in highschool and only 1 in college and hardly ever dated beyond that. When she reached her early twenties, she began to bloom & come out of her shell. Wall flower she was no longer, yet she always dated the wrong kind of guys. They weren't smart enough, not nice enough, not cute enough, not Chrisitian enough, not driven enough, etc. The right one was hard to find & for a long time, she thought she would never find her perfect prince.

When she first started noticing boys in her young teenage years, she was attracted to those handsome grungy, long haired boys. She looked for a boy that was witty and smart and funny and nice. Was there such a guy? She could never find him or perhaps he didn't notice her. Maybe he didn't exist...

When she entered her twenties, her tastes changed a little. She was now looking for a man that was handsome, clean, polished, but still smart and witty and funny and nice and driven. But alas, this perfect man seemed to be a myth. Perhaps she had to settle for less. Yet, deep down (thankfully) she knew that she could not settle. She'd rather be single than live a life with someone who did not meet her standards.

One day this young lady went to a work party with some of her coworkers & she eyed this handsome guy she had seen at work before, but had never met before. They eventually found each other in the same conversation & there was an instant spark. Although there was some initial resistance on both sides, that spark lead to something wonderful.

Those 2 young people began a friendship where they learned that had much in common and respect for the differences between them. When they shared their pasts, the young lady learned that this was the guy she has ALWAYS wanted. He would have even been "that long haired grunge" guy back in her early teenage years she dreamed of and today he was that clean-cut, successful handsome man. These two shared the same tastes in music, foods, activities, movies, dreams & goals. It was a perfect match!

Today they are happily married and are more and more in love with one another every day.

That couple is Hubby & me.

Hubby, I know you will never read this blog because you don't read my blog (or ETK's blog or TT's blog). You feel that you don't need to read our blogs to know us, and I respect that whole heartedly. :)

Happy Birthday, my sweets.

I love you.

E Hoomau Maua Kealoha

Crap that bores the crap out of crap

I have been tagged to do another meme (rhymes with dream), yet again, thanks to G-man over at Man Overboard! However, this time I have to tell you people SEVEN things about lil' o' me. Cuz' it's all about me.

The rules:

1. Provide a link to the person who tagged you, and spell out the rules of the meme on your blog.
2. Share 7 (seven) random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 (seven) random bloggers with this meme and post links to their blogs at the end of this post.
4. Let those who have been tagged know so by leaving a comment on their blog, and telling them where to find information regarding the meme they are now obliged to do.

Here goes...

1. Sometimes I daydream that I am a rock star. So, I can't really sing well, or dance well, or play a real instrument, but a girl can dream, can't she? I would totally rock out Gwen Stefani style (when she was in No Doubt).

2. I can't play a real instrument, but I can play a mean air guitar. Apparently in my grunge - Doc Martin & plaid wearing - Lolapolloza going - mosh pit days, I played air instruments every-so-often & my parents saw this. They decided to then buy me an acoustic guitar thinking that I had enough discipline to learn how to play. It is collecting dust under our guest bed. Maybe someday I will learn how to play.

3. Speaking of dreams. I also still dream of being a wildlife biologist or veterinarian. For the longest time, I really wanted to be a veterinarian, especially one in a zoo. I have also often wondered what life would be like if I was like the late Steve Irwin or like Jane Goodall or the goofy Jeff Corwin. I love wildlife! I love it so much, that on a solo business trip to San Diego one time, I spent my Satuday there ALL day at the San Diego zoo from opening to closing & I had a blast!

4. I really want to learn a martial art. This has been a goal of mine for a long time & I don't know why I have never pursued it. I have no good excuse. Hubby is trained in a Kung Fu. He hasn't trained in some years & we discuss that once we are more settled (i.e. I am working & we have moved into the next home) maybe we can find a martial arts school & train together (although he would obviously be MUCH more advanced than me). I am not sure what school I would chose, but some of the Chinese forms are so beautfiul & graceful, I'd have to consider one of those.

5. I have had some gnarly stoopid injuries: When I was 3 years old, I sustained a pretty nasty burn. I was running around a table (b/c that's what 3 year olds do) chasing nothing & tripped over the cord to one of those large coffee urns. The scalding hot coffee poured down my leg & according to my Mom, I had 2nd & a few 3rd degree burns. Luckily, I have no scars. When I was a Freshman in college, I BURNED MY RIGHT EYEBALL with a..... curling iron. I know, sounds scary & stupid all at once, eh? Luckily, again, I have no scars & my vision is 20/20 in both eyes to this day. And my final stoopid injury, again in college & attesting to my nerdiness, I once got so excited for getting straight A's (I was struggling that semester & wasn't expecting all A's) I jumped up in the air out of joy forgetting that the kitchen floor had just been mopped & can landing down, slid across the floor, & my leg slammed into the corner of a wall ripping open the skin on my shin. Thankfully, it was not a huge laceration, but I probably should had stitches. I didn't & I do have a scar, but it is a pretty cool one.

6. When I was 3 (apparently I was a handful at this age) I had an aversion to clothing. My mother would dress me & in zero seconds flat, I'd be all nekkid. Nekkid all the time. It didn't matter who was around. I did not want to wear clothing. Much to her, my husbad, and the rest of my family & friends relief, I grew out of that. I wonder if my mother ever worried that I was headed for a career in the adult entertainment world (JUST KIDDING!!!!). ;p Today I much prefer and am most comfortable to be fully clothed.

And

7. I know I am a big dork & I embrace my dorkiness! But I think I am darn cute dork. P.S. I just learned that dork used to have a not-so-nice meaning: DORK.

I'm not tagging anyone on this one, but if you want to play, feel free.

Thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it

I swear, sometimes I can be such a stereotypical woman.

I have pieces of clothing and shoes that I have held on to for far too long. Some for TEN years! "Well, I might wear it again." "It has sentimental value." "But I got that in Singapore." "It could come back in style." "I spent so much on that." "But I love those jeans!"

My favorite and probably MOST typical:

"Maybe I will be a size 3/4 again."

How rediculous. Really.

Even if BY CHANCE I am actually ever a size 4 again (which I seriously doubt), wouldn't it just be better to get new clothes????

So, I spent a big part of yesterday fighting with my packrat side & CLEANSED my closet. There were 7-8 shopping bags of clothes and shoes that I donated. It was tough letting some of it go (especially the cute size 4 jeans!!!!) How crazy is that? Talk about holding on to too much. It felt good to let it go & to donate it to hopefully someone who'll need it much more than me.

"Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out." ~ Tina Turner

(Ack! I still have my dressers to go through....)

Too Funny! Love it!

I actually know someone who did something similar but during their Father& Daughter dance (but not to Baby Got Back...LOL & ew!).

And I thought I was original for dancing with my Dad to a rock song at the reception. ;)

YEAH! More Pet Photos! Gotta Lov'em!

Everything Tastes Better with Cat Hair in It

Stupid Kitchen/Cooking Action #534

Over the past years of being a non-single woman, I must say I have done a FEW idiotic things things in the kitchen. Not cooking enough food....for ONLY TWO people......accidentally putting what I thought was dishwasher detergent (but was a LARGE bottle of hand washing dish detergent) into the BRAND NEW dish washer.....and I am sure there are many more

WELL....

Last night I decided it would be funny to throw Hubby's home-baked pizza on the open oven door and floor because I love cleaning dried, stuck-on cheese from cooking surfaces and food tastes much better with dog & cat hair stuck in it.

I'm only a little brain damaged.... I can somewhat function in the kitchen.....

I swears!

WWC

This week's WWC from Tink are "Assortment" & "Purple."

Here is an assortment of flowers from the San Fran Conservancy of Flowers, some with shades of purple. What can I say; I love flowers!



Next week's words: "Landscape" & "Orange."

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The holiday joy has begun in the Alli & Hubby household. The Charlie Brown tree is up, the stockings are hung with care (but alas, we have no fireplace...yet), a big part of our shopping has been completed, & I am still in search of the Christmas cards I loyally buy every year. There is still so much to do, yet there is much relief to at least have the ball rolling.

So Shy - A Haiku for You

You read my bloggings,

Yet comment you never do.

So shy, why are you?

New Name, New Look, Same Ol' Me

Since my time as a PA student is nearing an end & this blog involves more of me than just my life as a PA student, I decided it needed a new name & look.

I am sure there will be more tweeking & changes to come.

Change is good.

A Day of Disappointment and Thanks

Several times when I was a child, my family chose to spend Thanksgiving Day volunteering at the Superfeast downtown. My father would leave very early in the morning to go help with the cooking of the turkeys and then my mother and us girls would then meet him down there a bit later to start helping with set up and serving of the food to those in needs. It was a very rewarding experience each time.

This year, Hubby & I spent Thanksgiving with my parents, and the four of us decided to spend it doing what we had done years ago by volunteering at the Superfeast again. H-town now has two MAJOR Thanksgiving meals for the needy & we decided to again do the outside one located downtown. However, this one is heavily sponsored by Waste Management, Walmart, etc, and unfortunately, as we learned, is not very well organized. It was nice to see all the volunteers, but there were just too many of us and not enough to do. Many of those "in charge" were misguiding us.

We spent the first few hours sorting through clothes and putting stupid Waste Management stickers on hats for those who were going to be serving the food. First of all, we were glad to see how much clothes had been donated, BUT so many of the clothes were old & dirty. It made me sad (and kind of grossed me out...why do people donate used underwear? BLEH!). Hubby & I decided we are going to go through our closet this weekend and donate some of our clothes and shoes that are still WEARABLE and CLEAN. Then there was the hat situation. I can't believe part of our volunteering was spent putting stickers on hats just so WM could advertise. How does this help the poor & hungry??? Everyone already knows that WM was the major sponsor. They made it VERY obvious. After we did this we stood around for SEVERAL hours in the cold trying to get some direction on what we could help with next. We were misdirected many times and scolded several times because we were in the way or we were close to violating a health department code. Please people, give us good direction so we can be of use and HELP....that's why we are here....not to be in your way or violate codes....or to help you advertise and make you look good. That's not what this is all about. Speaking of that....

We were FINALLY told how the serving works. The numbers on our name badges (which the people at the volunteer tent had NO CLUE about what they were for) were the number they would call out when it was our time to serve the food and we would only be serving for like 10-15 minutes. My, Hubby's, and my Dad's number was in the 590s or and b/c my mom was in a another line, hers was in the 100s. So, not only would it take forever to get to our numbers, but we would be separated from my Mom, and only serve food for like 10 minutes. How ridiculous is that?

THEN, the most ridiculous part of this experience was when it was closer to the time to start serving the spent over an hour thanking WM, Walmart, this congressman, that congresswoman, this and that "Big Wig", doing WM cheers, Walmart cheers, blah-blah-blah and all the while the poor hungry & cold people were just waiting in line to eat. Again, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what we have and this particular occasion was for giving to those in need. It is NOT about boasting and making yourself, company, and your political party "look good." I didn't volunteer to do this to have my 10 minutes on the local news and to put a feather in my hat to make myself look good. I just simply want to help someone in need. That's it.

Many of us volunteers ended up standing around for hours cold and complaining. I decided I did not want to spend my Thanksgiving in that kind of environment and around people with poor and pompous attitudes . I'd rather go to my parents' house, eat turkey, and be thankful for what I have and remember the ethics and morals I have.

We won't be returning to that WM Superfeast again. Perhaps next time we will volunteer at a local church, food kitchen, or Salvation Army or something. And, hubby & I are going to do our charitable part this weekend and donate some clean, wearable clothes.

Anyway, our Thanksgiving Day did turn out to be a very good one. We spent the rest of the day with my parents eating yummy foods near with a fire in fire place & played a couple games of Bocce Ball in the cool, fall weather. I think that morning just made us even more thankful for what we have & for the scruples, morals, and ethics we choose to embrace. We didn't let a bad experience ruin our day or dampen our spirits. It was a learning experience & we chose to turn it into a good day.

There is much to be thankful for. Isn't there?

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have a full plate planned for Turkey Day helping those in need, so I wanted to send this tonight!

A recipe for you!

Pumpkin Bread

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

- Sift flour with baking soda, salt, baking powder and all spices
- Cream sugar and oil, beat in eggs and pumpkin
- Add flour mixture (from step one) and water, alternating a little at a time
- Add raisins and nuts (* or choc. chips), and mix well
- Bake in two 4x8 loaf pans or one large loaf pan at 350 for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (or you can bake it in 4 mini-loaves for about 35-38 minutes, again toothpick should come out clean)

NOTE:
* Raisins and nuts are optional, you can also do mini-chocolate chips instead or the raisins with the nuts, or only the chips.

I am making it tonight with the choc chips!!! mmmm!!

Tag! You're It!

I have been tagged by the lovely Texaconsin Diva with what is called a "Meme." I don't know what a "Meme" is. Maybe it means this is all about ME!!! Anyway, here goes....

First here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

OK, here comes the randomness......

1. I have met 3 "famous" people thus far in my life. This is a lot of info, so I'll make it my 1-2.
The first person I met was the mailman, Mr. "Speedy Delivery" McFeely, from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I was in high school & met him randomly at a New Year's city celebration in Erie, PA. I know! You are so jealous aren't you? The next famous person I met was Brendan Fraser. This is a funny story. It was when I was living in Singapore. He was there promoting his movie "George of the Jungle". I was with my parents walking to an art museum to see a Leonardo DaVinci exhibit when all of sudden my Dad says, "Hey wasn't that Brendan Fraser? You know, the guy from Encino Man?" He was referring to a man arguing with a women that we had just past on the street. I looked back, and yeah it was him. He kinda stuck out like a sore thumb in this Asian country. "Yeah, Dad, that's him!" He replies, "Well, here take one of my business cards & pen and get his autograph." I say, "But Daaa-aad, he is arguing with that woman. Maybe we should leave them alone." He replies, "Come on. You may not ever get this chance again." "Oooo-kay," I say. I then quietly walk up to him & ask. He looks at me, with shock, and says, "Not right now." "OK. Sorry for the interruption," I then walk away embarrassed. "Well," my Dad says. "Nadda." We then head into the museum and when we are done we sit outside at the museum's cafe to have some coffee & then all of sudden Brendan comes out with his entourage, sees me & stops at our table. He looks at me and says, "Would you still like that autograph?" "Sure," I say. We then chat for a few minutes and he then continues on his way. That women he was arguing with was his girlfriend and now wife.

2. The 3rd famous person I have met is my favorite of the three & also one of my heroes, so she gets her own number. I had the privilege of meeting the famous primatologist, Jane Goodall. She came to Cornell when I was a student there & gave a lecture. Her lecture was amazing! I love her stories and her work with chimps. I got to speak to her briefly after her lecture. It's pretty cool to be able to meet one of your heroes.

3. One of the scariest days of my life was when I was at a slumber party in 9th grade. I have never told my family this, mostly because I haven't thought about in forever & at the time I didn't want them to worry. I was at one of my very good friend's house with probably about 6 - 7 other girls for a slumber birthday party. Well, as we usually did we were up late playing games, watching movies, snacking, & probably talking about boys and doing what young teenage girls do. Well, someone got the idea that we should go out for a walk late that night. We all had our jammys on & snuck out while her parents were sleeping. We were walking along & giggling about who knows what when this jeep pulls up with 2 older guys we didn't know. They were obviously very intoxicated and were trying to get all of our attention. They turn off the car & come out the jeep running after us. We got scared and sprinted back to my friend's house. I don't know if I slowed down or what, but after half us went around the house one way and the other half the other way, I was the last one to go through the back door when one of the guys grabbed my T-shirt. I slammed the door & part of my T-shirt that he had a hold of was caught in the door. I quickly locked the door & begged him through the door to let my shirt go. He kept saying he wanted to talk to me, but I said no way. I didn't know him, he was drunk, older, and I didn't trust him. Finally he let go of my shirt and went away. I think I had also threatened to start yelling & wake up my friend's step-dad. (I can't believe they NEVER woke up through all of these shenanigans.) I guess I could have just taken my shirt off...no one would have seen me. I can't remember why I didn't do that. Anyway, that was very scary. Who knows what that drunk guy could have done. I was very fortunate & learned a valuable lesson that night.

4. Most of you all know this already. When I was living in Singapore, I worked as an assistant zoo keeper in the small mammal and reptile exhibits at the Singapore Zoological Gardens, now known as the Singapore Zoo. I just learned they changed their name. I wonder why they did that? Singapore Zoological Gardens sounds nicer to me, even if it is more wordy. Anywho, my daily tasks involved assisting in cleaning & helping design the exhibits, preparing and feeding the animals, and helping with the visitor photography/education hours with a python. Yes, I got to carry around the pythons they used for the photos. Very cool! My favorite animals to feed were the Giant Galapagos turtles (such gentle giants & very wise...estimated to be close to 100 yrs old), the pygmy mongoose (what a great matriarchal family that was), and most of all the Oriental small-clawed Otters & their BABIES! These babies were sooooo cute. As I approached the exhibit, I would yell, "Babies!" and they would all start squeaking and swim towards to me to be fed. So cute! I loved working there.


5. My final random thing about me is that people ALWAYS say I look like someone they know. I look like their best friend's sister, someone they grew up with, a cousin, "are you so and so's sister?" yadda-yadda-yadda (sorry, watching Seinfeld as I type this). So do I really have that universal of a look? I really didn't think so. I even have a classmate that always calls me by the wrong name at first and then apologizes and says, "you look so much like my best friend's sister!" Man, it's so weird!!!!!!!

So, there ya go! Just a few more tidbits about me you may or may not have known.

Now it's my turn to TAG 5 others:

TAG YOU'RE IT!

1. ETK: Because I know you'll have some great things to tell us & you'll have fun doing it!
2. TT: Because she is such a sweetie & I know she'll get a hoot out of it. I bet she has some great stories tell, too.
3. Sunshine: Because she needs to blog MORE!!!!
4. Bobbie: Because she also needs to blog more & needs more distractions from studying! Mwahh-ahhh-ahhh!
5. Tink: Because I just recently started reading her blog & it is now one of my favs. I am glad Jen "introduced" me to her.

Have fun!!! I am looking forward to your posts. Don't forget the rules!