Yay! Another Blog!

Veganism

2007-10-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Since becoming mostly vegan earlier this year, I have done rather a lot of research on what being vegan actually means. (By "mostly vegan," I mean that I am not totally militant about it; I eat vegan when I have control over the food, and feel significantly better about that, but tend to eat just vegetarian when I go out or eat with friends, for convenience. Being vegan is not always the easiest. Also, I still eat honey.) Yesterday I purchased The Vegan Sourcebook, by Joanne Stepaniak. She discusses the reasons behind becoming vegan, the psychology behind it, and gives different nutritional information about the vegan lifestyle. She suggests that being vegan is not just about animal rights; it is also about human rights. One example of this is when she writes about cane sugar, and whether or not vegans should use it; I have chosen to use mostly raw sugar, since cane sugar is frequently filtered through charred animal bones (not only is this kind of gross, but it also means that the sugar itself loses most of its nutritional value in the processing), but she says that it also leads to exploitation of workers. The people who usually produce sugar are illegal immigrants, earn less than minimum wage, work excessive overtime without the proper compensation, and do not receive any kind of benefits. The book also outlines the vegan food pyramid, and has a number of recipes for "alternative" meat and dairy products, made directly from plant sources. This is important, since a lot of vegan food is heavily processed. I think this book is really significant, especially if you are concerned about impacting the environment. The author gives a number of reasons why veganism could possibly be the right way to go. One other thing that she points out is how people really have a hard time supporting others who have decided to go vegan. I found this to be quite true in my own life; the only person who has thoroughly supported me is my boyfriend, who is not even vegetarian (by any stretch of the imagination!). I was rather surprised by this, as a lot of the people close to me who were supportive of my vegetarianism were entirely opposed to my becoming vegan. To a certain extent, I can understand; I know that many are concerned because of my ED history. However, I have been making a concerted effort to NOT lose weight on the vegan diet (which, for me, is a big step!). This is in part because of my job (since I work with ED patients, I try to keep my weight relatively steady), and also because, over time, I have come to accept the way that my body is, and my setpoint weight. She also says that being vegan makes it difficult to be around nonvegan people, which I have not found to be the case at all. I know that I have chosen a certain lifestyle for myself, and although I wish that others would also choose it, I certainly don't expect them to. It does not bother me at all that my boyfriend is a big meat-eater. As long as I am doing what's right for me, he can do what's right for him, and that's what's important.
Anyway-I also bought The Joy of Vegan Baking, and am looking forward to trying some of the recipes. I was invited to a Halloween party next weekend, and I'm planning to make vegan Chocolate Cheesecake to take with me. I'm guessing nobody knows it's vegan. :) I'm also excited about making vegan bread; I've never made bread at all before, and happened upon a very easy vegan recipe. I think I'll try it this week. And for those of you who are concerned about the processed vegan foods, there's almost no need to eat them at all; almost everything that I eat right now can be made from scratch, directly from plant sources.
My point here is: I felt really good about becoming a vegetarian. It was something that I had wanted to do for a very long time (I remember talking about it when I was probably 11), but I didn't want to inconvenience anyone. Once I did it, my overall health improved dramatically. Eating vegan has improved that about 10 times more. It did not restrict my diet at all; rather, it opened up a whole new world to me. I feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This new phase in my life has left me with so much clarity about myself and the world around me. Being vegan is not about what you don't do. It's about what you do, as far as taking care of the environment, doing your part in the preservation of our planet, compassion for other beings, and so many other things. This has been an extremely rewarding experience for me, and I'm really excited about continuing it.

2007-10-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

Go Rockies!!!!!!!!

2007-09-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

Ahoy buckos! This day be International Speak Like a scurvy Pirate Day, so in honor o' that, me message has be completely translated into scurvy pirate speak. If ye want to translate your message, or anythin' else, ye can be off to this website:

http://www.postlikeapirate.com/translator.php

Arrr! Have a great day, mateys!

What It Feels Like to Walk on the Moon

2007-07-31T08:26:00.001-07:00

This is pretty cool:

http://men.msn.com/articlees.aspx?cp-documentid=4884951

Two in One Day!

2007-01-31T20:39:00.000-08:00

1) Using FOOD names, spell out your name:
a-apples
n-nuts
n-noodles
a-artichokes
2) What song makes you cry?Actually, a lot of songs make me cry. I think the most recent was "Breathe," by Rebecca St. James
3) What do you like to listen to before bed? Silence

a p p e a r a n c e
HEIGHT: 5'4"
HAIR COLOR: Light brown
SHOE SIZE: 7
PIERCINGS: One in each ear. I used to have a belly button ring, but I had to take it out. TATTOOS: None, but if I did have one, it would either be a butterfly or the NEDA symbol on my hip (NEDA symbol=ED recovery)
r i g h t - l e f t ? Right
PANTS YOU'RE WEARING: Pink pajama pants.
WHAT SONG ARE YOU LISTENING TO?: Porcelain, by Moby
WHAT TASTE IS IN YOUR MOUTH?: Wine
WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?: Rainy.

d o - y o u
GET MOTION SICKNESS?: Nope
HAVE A BAD HABIT?: No. I'm practically perfect in every way. :)
GET ALONG WITH YOUR PARENTS?: Generally.

f a v o r i t e s
TV SHOW: House, Mythbusters
MAGAZINE: Cosmo
THING TO DO ON THE WEEKEND: Clean, run errands, read, do crafts. I like to feel like I've accomplished something.

h a v e - y o u
BROKEN THE LAW: Nooooooo... :)
RUN AWAY FROM HOME: I tried one time when I was 8-ish, but when I got to the end of the driveway, I realized that I wasn't allowed to go any further. That ended that trip pretty quickly.
SNEAKED OUT OF THE HOUSE: Nope
EVER GONE SKINNY DIPPING: I don't think so.
MADE A PRANK PHONE CALL: I don't think so.
USED YOUR PARENTS' CREDIT CARD BEFORE: Only the one that I was supposed to use.
FELL ASLEEP IN THE SHOWER/BATH: No.
LET A FRIEND CRY ON YOUR SHOULDER: I would, but I don't think it's ever happened.

l o v e
CHILDREN: I hope to have some soon.
BEEN IN LOVE?: Yes.
HAD A HARD TIME GETTING OVER SOMEONE: YES.

r a n d o m
YOUR CD PLAYER HAS IN IT RIGHT NOW: Jewel.
IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?: Carnation pink.
WHAT'S THE NEXT CD YOU'RE GONNA GET: I have no idea.

PART TWO
1. Have you ever licked the back of a CD to try to get it to work? No. :) I've never even heard or thought of doing that.
2. Have you ever puked at a bar or club? Nope.
3. Have you ever dated someone you met online?: No, but I went on a date with someone I met while driving down the street.
4. Have you ever smoked pot at a concert?: I've never smoked pot.
5. Have you ever dated/fooled around with a coworker? Yes. :) My BF was a coworker at one point.
6. Ever been involved in a hit & run?: Kind of, but it wasn't bad. Someone scratched my car up a little.
8. Have you ever been on a blind date?: Yes - it was the worst date I ever had.
9. Are looks important?: Not especially.
10. Do you have any friends that you've known for 15 years or more?: No. Well, not one's that are my age anyway.
11. By what age would you like to be married?: ASAP.
12. Does the number of people a person's slept with affect your view of them?: Only if it's someone I'm dating. I have a limit (like if they've slept with more than that, I probably wouldn't date them anymore). Otherwise, I really don't care.
13. Have you ever sacrificed yourself so your friend can get in good with a person of the opposite sex?: No, but I would.
14. Have you ever drank milk that was past the expiration date? Yes, all the time.
15. Are you a good tipper?: If my waitperson is at least 25% decent, I am a great tipper.
16. What's the most you have spent for a haircut? Probably $25.
17. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher? Yes, a few. :)
18. Do you know all the words to the first verse of Ice Ice Baby?: Umm...no.
19. Have you ever had crispy bangs?: Well, kind of, but mine weren't the 80's spinach bangs. I had the 90's sausage roll style.
20. What was the worst style of the 80's?:I can't pick a worst. I can't pick a best. Sometimes I think that period of time should just be erased from all memory.
21. Have you ever peed in public: Not really in public, but out in the open. Hey, if you've gotta go, you've gotta go.

Fanny Farmer is My New Best Friend

2007-01-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

Yes. It's true. I think my Fanny Farmer cookbook is probably the best investment I have ever made (and at $6.99, quite a steal!). After looking for a recipe online for several days, it occurred to me that I would probably find it in Fanny's plethora of wisdom. I made macaroni and cheese from scratch tonight, and it was really yummy. If you don't have one, you should get one.
Here is all of my exciting news:
My sister FINALLY had her baby last night. It's a boy: Samuel Robert, weighing in at 8 lbs, 9 oz. And only 12 days late! :)
I just got my second acceptance letter to CSULA, so I will for sure be attending next quarter. (I had already been accepted, but I decided not to go this quarter, so I had to re-apply.)
I was nominated to be in the National Dean's List-apparently they have a book that's published every year. Only 0.5% of the nation's college students make it in, so it's actually quite an honor.
Needless to say, I'm pretty happy right now. :)

A Little Birdy Told Me...

2007-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

As I was getting ready to leave work tonight, the patients were just starting dinner. Rebecca (one of the therapists) came into the office, and said, "Um, there's a bird in the dining room...". I was like, "Okay - do you need help?" She said she's not scared of birds, but that she could use some help. I went into the dining room, and there was this little bird - I think it was a finch - just chilling on the windowsill. I closed all the doors except the front door, because I completely expected it to start flying around, but when I walked up to it, it just looked at me. At this point, I figured that it had flown into the window and stunned itself, so I grabbed a bowl to pick it up with. I got up right next to it, and started petting it, and kind of nudged it into the bowl. It hopped onto the rim, and I carried it outside. I didn't want to leave it on the ground, because I was afraid that Sylvie, the hospital cat, would get it, so I was trying to put it somewhere up high. It took a minute, but then it just flew away, so I guess it wasn't stunned. All the patients thought I was pretty cool after that. :) I must be a bird whisperer.

2007-01-23T18:34:00.001-08:00

Sorry to those who didn't get to look at my dress. (See previous post.) It's really sexy, though.

I read somewhere yesterday that the average person reads 300 books in their lifetime. Tonight I'm going to the library. :)

2007-01-20T18:15:00.000-08:00

I just checked the PCC website, and saw that I am for sure getting my two degrees from them. Yay me! :) Somehow I managed to get an AA and an AS - not that either one will do me any good whatsoever, but at least I'll have some more things to frame and hang on my wall. Still waiting to hear from CSLA about whether I got accepted again...
Kendall is taking me to see "Wicked" next month. This is the dress that I will be wearing:
http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=Dresses&product%5Fid=2034234288&Page=1
It actually gives me boobs and a waist!

13 Things

2006-12-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

Thirteen of My Favorite Things -- Like You Really Needed to Know This:

My favorite food is a big fat bean and cheese burrito, followed by chocolate.
My favorite song is "Outta My Head", by Fastball. I know it's completely inappropriate, but it is on the song list for my wedding reception because I love it so much.
My favorite character from "Rocky Horror Picture Show"... I kinda liked the big blonde dude who ran around half naked for the majority of the movie. He was the only remotely normal character in the whole thing.
My three favorite books are "The Blue Castle," by L.M. Montgomery; "Mr. God, This is Anna," by Fynn; and "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe," by Fannie Flagg.
My favorite time of day is early in the morning. I wish it would just stay that way all day.
My favorite food item that I can never run out of is chocolate.
My favorite section of the newspaper is the comics, although the coupons in the Sunday paper are a close second. Especially the 50% off at Michaels one. :)
My favorite 'thingie' these days is my new house phone. I can pick the ringtones, like on a cell phone, and it has an intercom and a monitor. I can spy on anybody now.
My favorite day is.............Christmas!
My favorite sound is the sound of waves breaking. I could listen to that forever.
My favorite season is fall.
My favorite sports are basketball, figure skating, (to watch), and gymnastics (to play).
My favorite thing about this list is reading what other people write for their answers.

Oh, and for anyone who's interested, I'm back from the blogging dead. Yes, that's right-school's out! No more PCC for me!

2006-10-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well, if you absolutely must be a terrorist, at least do it the Buffy way:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15302476/?GT1=8618

2006-09-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jamie, Kendall and I went to the LA County Fair. It was a lot more fun than I expected; I'd actually never been to a fair like that before. I liked looking at all of the farm animals; it's funny to be around cows, sheep, and goats now, because I realized that I really like the way they smell. (Pigs not so much.) My favorite part was the Home and Garden section; they had some really neat gardening ideas, and they also had wine tasting. :) But the best part by far was the little art stand inside the wine tasting area. I finally got an Alphonse Mucha poster: http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Bieres-de-la-Meuse-Posters_i290944_.htm . I can't wait to get it framed. :)

2006-09-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day:
"I reject your reality, and substitute my own!" -Adam Savage, "Mythbusters"

Jamie and I were talking about our ghosts today. (This conversation was preceded by watching the show "Most Haunted", which we both love, and which also scares the crap out of me.) He tends to have a lot more Unusual Incidents happen to him, but we have both experienced the activity in our house. When we first moved into this house, there was a lot of activity, especially in the kitchen; it was REALLY cold in there, and the door between the kitchen and living room would be open in the morning when I knew I had closed it the night before. As we filled up the kitchen cabinets, the phenomena decreased, but any time we talk about it, it starts up again. Anyway, when we talked about it this morning, we realized that we've both had the same experiences here: there are two entities, one an older woman, the other a man. The woman's name is Margaret, and the man's name is Ned, or something like that. I think the relationship was something like a mother and son; she was unhappy in love, and I don't think he ever had any romantic relationship. They both seem a little jealous of our relationship, but I notice that there's more activity when we're not getting along. Jamie is creeped out by the old lady, which I think is because she really loves this house, and knows that I do too, but he's not such a big fan of it. The guy creeps me out a little, but I like the lady. We're cool. :) (We had another entity when we first moved in that was occupying the carport, and made some really strange stuff happen to my car, but I think that was a more transient spirit. It's gone now.) I don't think that either of these people died here; I get the impression that this place was significant to both of them, and some of their essence got left behind.
Now, though, I'm really curious about the previous tenants of this house. I'm going to ask my landlady about it, but in the meantime, does anyone know how to research this?
Oh, and by the way, I'm really not into the whole ghost, spirit, paranormal entities thing. I'm way too concrete, and choose to ignore things that are too scary for me to deal with. In this case, they just made themselves quite obvious.

Drumroll, please...

2006-09-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is my first post from my own house, and my own computer. Yes, that's right-I have finally entered the modern world, and now have a phone, a computer that can actually access the Internet, and cable TV. It's pretty great. :)
See you on MySpace!

The Food Meme

2006-08-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

How do you like your eggs?
Soft-boiled; or scrambled, with cheese and ketchup.

How do you take your coffee/tea?
Sweet and white.

Favorite breakfast foods:
Not so much into breakfast, but if I’m going to eat it, I want something light, like fruit and a muffin.

Peanut butter: smooth or crunchy?
As long as it’s salted, I don’t care.

What kind of dressing on your salad?
Depends on my mood-usually Italian, Ranch, or Thousand Island.

Coke or Pepsi?
Generally neither, but if I had to choose it would be Coke. Pepsi is too syrupy.

You’re feeling lazy. What do you make?
Probably a frozen, microwaveable cheese enchilada from Trader Joe’s.

You’re feeling really lazy. What kind of pizza do you order?
Pizza Hut, pan crust, extra cheese.

You feel like cooking.
Mushrooms stuffed with feta cheese and red onions.

Do any foods bring back good memories?
Watermelon always reminds me of sitting on the porch with my sisters on summer evenings and having seed-spitting contests.

Do any foods bring back bad memories?
Lemon loaf from Starbucks. I won’t go into the whole story, but it involved a cockroach.

Do any foods remind you of someone?
Taglioni reminds me of my grandma, because that was the only thing she knew how to make that was large enough to feed the whole family, so that’s what we always got when we went to her house for dinner.

Is there a food you refuse to eat?
Jello. Food that moves on its own is NOT okay with me.

What was your favorite food as a child?
Burritos. (Still true, actually. :) )

Is there a food you hated as a child but now love?
Avocadoes. They were too slimy then, but now I can’t get enough. It’s like I’m making up for lost time.

Is there a food you loved as a child but now hate?
Onions. I used to eat them raw while my mom was cooking, but now I almost never have them in anything (except for the aforementioned stuffed mushrooms).

Favorite fruit:
There are too many to pick just one-apples, cherries, red grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches… Yummy. :)

Favorite vegetable:
Spinach

Favorite junk food:
Cheez-Its.

Favorite between meal snack:
Not really a snacker, but if I’m going to eat between meals, it’s gonna be chocolate.

Do you have any weird food habits?
I eat the crusts off my sandwiches first-I start at the bottom, then eat the sides, then the top, then the middle. And if I eat more than one M&M color at a time, I have to bite them in half, so both sides of my mouth get an even amount of each color. I actually have a lot more, but everyone would think I’m crazy, so I’ll stop now.

How spicy do you order Indian/Thai?
No spicy for me, thanks anyway. And I’m not really into Indian/Thai food as a rule-too much meat.

Can I get you a drink?
Lately I’ve been doing vodka tonics, but my favorite is a “What About Jackie?”; chocolate and raspberry liqueur with a splash of cream. It’s pretty much the awesomest drink ever.

Red wine or white?
Red, all the way.

We only have beer:
San Miguel Light.

Favorite dessert:
Find all the chocolate you can, and put it together into something cake-and-ice-cream-y. Then put some more chocolate (ganache is good) on top. I'll be licking the plate. :)

2006-07-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, here's a big surprise:

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=228739&GT1=7703

2006-07-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my cousins, Jen and Chad; Julian Porter Macy arrived at 6:00 this morning, weighing in at 9 lbs., 10 oz. (and only two weeks late! :) ).
Yay babies!

Mortimer

2006-07-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

So I never thought that I'd be saying this, but I'm absolutely in love with my little baby tortoise. He's the cutest little guy EVER. He's not quite a year old, and fits easily in the palm of your hand (it will take him about 5 years to be the size of a hamburger, and about 30 to be the size of a dinner plate). When Jamie decided to get him, I thought he'd be Jamie's pet, but now... I could sit and watch him all day. We've been taking him outside to play in the afternoons, and he's so little that he can't even push the grass on the lawn down all the way, so he sort of swims through it. He's gotten used to us holding him, so now when I pick him up he'll usually push his head against my finger so I'll pet him. And when he eats, he sticks out his little tortoise tongue. He'll chew and chew, and then after he swallows, he does this big sigh before he takes another bite, like it's such an effort to eat. :)

Justice Is Served

2006-06-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

On my drive to work this morning, there was this girl behind me who was in WAAAAAAY too big a hurry, and kept tailgating everyone. I was doing my best to not let her pass, because she was really irritating me. (The tailgating thing is one of my biggest pet peeves.) She ended up right behind me, tailgating again, so I hit my brakes a couple of times to warn her to back off. It didn't work. Then we came to a red light, and as I was slowing down, she passed me on the right, like she was going to turn at the light, but then pulled back in front of me-RIGHT in front of the cop who was sitting in the parking lot driveway. She got pulled over. It was great. I hope she looked in her rear-view mirror and saw me laughing at her. :)
Have a great day-I know I will!

One-Word Survey

2006-06-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

1. Yourself: Quirky.
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend: Goofy.
3. Your hair: Blonder.
4. Your Mother: Artist.
5. Your Siblings: Christogirls.
6. Your Favorite Item: Chapstick.
7. Your dream last night: Shopping.
8. Your Favorite Drink: Water.
9. Your Dream Home: Castle.
10. The Room You Are In: Office.
12. Your fear: Sharks.
13. Where do you Want to be in Ten Years? Elsewhere.
14. Who you hung out with last night: Beany.
15. What You're Not: Hungry.
16. Your Best Friends: Kendall.
17. One of Your Wish List Items: Diploma.
18. Your Gender:Female
19. The Last Thing You Did: Answer.
20. What You Are Wearing: Shoes.
21. Your favorite weather:Fall
22. Your Favorite Book? The Blue Castle
23.Last thing you ate? Enchiladas.
24. Your Life: Slower.
25. Your mood: Happy.
26. The last person you talked to on the phone: Jamie.
27. Who are you thinking about right now? Jamie.

2006-06-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

In my Internet search for my new favorite artist, whose name I still can't remember, I stumbled across a very cool website. My mom, at least, will appreciate it. And if anyone knows the name of the (I believe) French artist who painted fairies and muses with cool borders around them, in the Art Nouveau style (think the poster in Monica's living room on "Friends"), and whose first name starts with an A, that would be great. :) In the meantime, look at this site. It's really neat.
http://www.artcyclopedia.com

Update: Never mind, I found it. His name is Alphonse Mucha. And he's not French, he Czech. Hence the confusion on my part. :)

2006-06-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

This was my day yesterday:

http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20060624/cx_crbal_uc/crbal20060624;_ylt=AqEmlnKOeMTqu.Ji5rnkl4HpcLQF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

'Nough said.

2006-06-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

Duh!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13370762/

2006-06-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

This is for the ChristoGirls:
http://doihavetocallitablog.blogspot.com/2006/06/wordnerdiness-101.html .
Enjoy!

Dixie Chicks

2006-06-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

This morning on my morning radio talk show the hosts were talking about the Dixie Chicks, their comments about Bush, their new album, and their new-and growing, apparently-fanbase. The new single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," has been banned from a bunch of radio stations, (which is unfortunate, because it's a great song), so hearing it twice on the same station within 20 minutes was really a treat. Anyway, it got me all fired up, so I'm going to try to be diplomatic, since I know some people who read this blog are considerably more conservative than I, but I'm still going to write about it.
When the Dixie Chicks first made their comment about Bush, (Natalie Maines said that she was embarrassed to be from Texas, because that's where he's "from", although he's actually from Connecticut-don't let the accent fool you), I was really impressed. It took a lot of guts, particularly since, at the time, about half the US supported him. But what I think is really great is that even when people came down on her for the comment, she didn't backpedal. She stood by what she believed. To be completely honest, if I'd been in a foreign country at that time, I probably would have done something similar; I may have been born and raised here, but I didn't vote for Bush, I don't have to agree with the things he does, and I don't have to think he's a great person and that he's doing a great job running the country. This is what America is about. The founding fathers were a bunch of raging liberals, and what they said to England was basically the same thing as what Natalie Maines said about Bush: "We don't agree with what you're doing, and we want the world to know that we're not a part of it."
I'm very lucky right now to be living in a state where almost everyone I come into contact with is liberal. It's extremely validating to be surrounded by people who share your opinions (although how we came to have a Republican "governator" is beyond me). But regardless of whether you're liberal or conservative, standing by your beliefs is really important. (Even though conservatives drive me crazy sometimes, I realize that they're just as important to the future of the nation-and the world-as liberals. You need a balance.) And I don't think there's anything wrong in disagreeing with what the government is doing, particularly if they're not the administration you voted for. We are, after all, a "free speech" country, whatever that means now.
And that's all I have to say about that.

2006-05-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, and for anyone who's interested, this is what Jamie gave me for my birthday.

http://www.miniatures.com/hbs/global/Index2.asp?T=shopping&S=products&I=aa_ProductDetail.asp&P=9304

I'm really excited. :)

2006-05-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

Googlism for: anna

anna is lovely
anna is an inspiration
Aww.
anna is learning to create a webpage using html code
Good for me!
anna is a "calendar girl"
anna is transfused
anna is beginning
anna is drama
anna is learning how to suck her thumb
You know, it takes more practice than you'd think.
anna is growing up
anna is getting married
anna is back
anna is raring to go
anna is a cutie
anna is very cute
anna is still an issue
angry anna fans sue penthouse for $8
Talk to my PR guy.
anna is back in london
anna is a little shy
*blush*
anna is for sale
But you couldn't afford me. :)
anna is hot when it is cold
Actually, it's more the other way around.
anna is alive?
We're not sure, but we're checking into it.
anna is still here
Thank goodness!
anna is a chatbot designed to pass the turing test
Most people who know me would probably not describe me as a "chatbot"
anna is a "calendar girl" in cat fancy's 2002 and 2003 year
anna is a 22 year old beauty born and raised in the united states
anna is taking tennis lessons this summer
anna is introduced to a new friend
anna is an online animated cartoon series
anna is located within an easy driving distance from washington
anna is a member of the renowned firm of decker bullock
anna is not a geek
That's debatable :)
anna is now rolling both ways quite well
What can I say? I'm a late bloomer.
anna is realy cute and smart ass
anna is very strong and agile with a great sense of balance
anna is a little place six kilometres south of naxos city
anna is so popular
Oh, yeah.
anna is the kinda gurl who ya just wanna give a hug to and smile
anna is like a box of chocolates
You never know what you'll get.
anna is based on the most advanced statistical methods used to detect certain patterns and conditions in large quantities of data
anna is a business administrator
anna is the usm libraries' new web
anna is a little bit suspicious
anna is an awesome book
anna is three
anna is approximately 17 miles long containing 13
anna is adorable
anna is a spaniel mix and is a year old
anna is attached to play a leading role in another movie
Yay, me!
anna is signed up to do another movie with rob schnieder and adam sandler called the hot chick
anna is a german citizen who lives with her husband
anna is now two and a half years old
anna is a recreational centerpiece that maintains a rural charm
anna is the latin form of hannah and means 'grace or favored
anna is a very promising young gymnast
anna is situated in the respected residential district of vinohrady
anna is finally presented to the king
anna is injured again
anna is lovely
anna is an inspiration
And don't forget it.
anna is beginning
anna is a "calendar girl"
anna is absent today and we are learning a new concept
anna is the queen of the vomitorium
Just what I always wanted to be the queen of!
anna is moving on up
But wait, wait...
anna is the queen
Okay, that's better
anna is learning how to suck her thumb
anna is a guestbook goddess ~
anna is a shotmaker
anna is lovely
anna is a vagabond who has lived in vancouver
I always wanted to be a vagabond.
anna is a highly respected information marketing professional with more than seventeen years’ experience
anna is the best
Got that right.
anna is born
We all have to start somewhere.
anna is here to stay like it or not
:P

Internet Freedom

2006-05-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Apparently the Internet could potentially be undergoing a major change. Moby can explain it better:
http://www.moby.com/node/7412 .
Check it out, and sign the petition.

"Howard! Howard Bannister!"

2006-04-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

I was thinking this morning about inside jokes, and how weird they always seem to other people. I kind of enjoy using them around people who absolutely will not get them, and who then look at me like I'm completely insane. :) But then I started thinking about things that my mom and sisters and I say-just little quotes, or even just words-to each other, and they're so out there that I don't think I could even explain them to other people. Like if I walked up to my sister Meg and said, "George Hyler!", she'd crack up. No one else would have a clue what I was talking about. It's kind of funny. On that note, if one of my sisters can tell me the snotty thing that Lego Dave used to say when he got in trouble, I will be deeply appreciative. I've been trying to remember for like three months.
For anyone who is wondering, Jamie got the job at SBC. He's really enjoying the work, and seems to be very happy. I'm happy too, because this means that 1) I will now be able to afford to have a phone in my house, so I don't have to go outside to talk on my cell phone (bad reception in Pasadena), and 2) we get a discount on it. :)
In closing, and on the same note as the first paragraph, I'm just going to say, I know I'm different. But from now on, I'm going to try to be the same. The same as what? The same as people who aren't different! :) And for anyone who knows what that's from, you look cute in your pajamas, too. :)

2006-04-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary.You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts.All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whattimeofdayareyouquiz/">What Time Of Day Are You?

2006-02-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have to brag just a little bit-i finally got my grades from last semester, and I made the Dean's List. Yay me. :)
In other news, Jamie and I are leaving tomorrow evening for our OR trip. We're planning to leave around 6:30, drive to Sacramento, then drive the rest of the way on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to seeing everybody up there. We'll be there for about a week. Then we come back, and I have my last week of Christmas break, and then back to school. I'm not so excited about this coming semester-I hate the spring semester anyway, and this one will have math in it-but I'm hoping that it will go by really fast. Plus, after this semester I will officially be a junior at PCC, and maybe almost a senior after I get my transcripts sent over from CSU. And someday, maybe I'll be finished with college!

2006-01-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

Taken off a Starbucks cup:
"Baking may be regarded as a science, but it's the chemistry between the ingredients and the cook that gives desserts life. Baking is done out of love, to share with family and friends, to see them smile."
-Anna Olson, chef and hostess of the all-dessert show "Sugar" on Food Network Canada

Couldn't agree more.

2006-01-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Two Things Meme (from Writing and Living)

2 names you go by:
1. Anna
2. Beany

2 parts of your heritage:
1) French
2) English
(These are the ones I identify with the most. The others are German, Norwegian, Swiss, Belgian, Scottish, and Irish)

2 things that scare you:
1. "We need to talk."
2. My imagination

2 of your everyday essentials:
1) Breathing
2) Chocolate

2 things you are wearing right now:
1) Blue jumper
2) Black Mary Janes

2 favorite bands or musical artists:
1) Moby, Dido, Fastball
2) The Beatles, Jars of Clay (sorry, can't pick just two :) )

2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love):
1) Senility? Trust!
2) Humor

2 truths:
1) I think Moby's one of the hottest guys on the planet
2) I haven't had TV in my house for over a year

2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex):
1) A nice smell
2) Eyes

2 of your favorite hobbies:
1) Playing the piano
2) Baking cookies

2 things you want really badly:
1) A baby
2) Another baby

2 places you want to go on vacation:
1) Hawaii
2) England

2 things you want to do before you die:
1) Have a baby
2) Finish school

2 ways that you are stereotypically a chick:
1) My love of shoes
2) My love of pink

2 things you are thinking about now:
1) I would really like to buy a piano
2) I need to make a rental car reservation today for our OR trip next month

2 stores you shop at:
1) Charlotte Russe
2) Target

2 people I would like to see take this quiz:
The girls from Misstify

2006-01-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Thought for the day:
"If my life is for rent,
And I don't learn to buy,
I deserve nothing more than I get
Cause nothing I have is truly mine."
-Dido, Life for Rent

I started listening to this album about a year and a half ago, while I was still working at Starbucks, and realized that I was renting my life out for $7.78 an hour, and hating every second of it. So I shuffled a few things around, and now I feel like I'm getting paid to own my life. There's nothing quite like doing exactly what you want to do. :) I seriously am more happy now than I think I've ever been before; almost everything that I have in my life right now is just what I want. And that's pretty great.

2005-12-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I steal tons of stuff from Moby's sight, but it's all really neat. :)
www.pandora.com

2005-12-23T09:39:00.000-08:00

Hey! Unto you a Child is born!

2005-12-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

Check it out if you want to giggle.
http://www.dumblaws.com/

2005-11-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.ratemyprofessors.com
If you don't do it, you should.

2005-11-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

Not that I'm a big hiphop fan, but I think the Kanye West/Jamie Foxx song "Gold Digger" is worth mentioning. It's a fabulous funky modern version of counterpoint, and I'd recommend listening to it at least once just for it's musical quality. And if you can catch the video, that doesn't hurt either. :)

2005-10-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Mostly because of my brother in law, who learned before I did, I have taught myself to crochet. Previously, I was very good at making "chains" and that was about it, but now I am in the process of making a blanket. (Hey, if you're going to start a new project, it might as well be a huge one.) Anyway, after I started crocheting, I realized that I haven't been doing nearly enough right-brain stuff lately, because I went all hogwild on the crafty stuff. Besides my blanket, I'm working on painting candlesticks, doll furniture, and Christmas tree ornaments, decorating little foam gingerbread people for my Christmas decorations, jazzing up the stockings that I bought last year for me and Jamie, making pomanders for Christmas presents, and cutting paper snowflakes to hang from my living room ceiling so it looks like a snowstorm. :) I also found some really cute penguin flannel, so I think I'm going to buy some so I can make PJs. I have an addiction to JoAnn Fabric and Michaels. :)
Otherwise, my life is very much same old, same old... School, work, school, work, school... Kinda feels like I do the same thing every day. :)

2005-09-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

Just briefly-
I've been doing a lot of reading about eating disorders lately, and wanted to update my list of recommended reading on the subject. (Sorry if I can't remember authors names.)
1. Slim to None, by Jennifer Hendricks
This book is a compilation of journal entries written by a severely anorexic girl who eventually died from her disease. As her final wish, her father put this book together so other people could see her struggle and get help. It's a sad book, but really well written. I was a little frustrated reading it because it takes place in the 1970s, before eating disorders were widely recognized, and none of her doctors had any idea how to take care of her. Very insightful into the eating disorder psyche.
2. Life Size, by Jennifer Shute
Another hardcore anorexic, although the end is a little more hopeful. Also very well written and insightful, but this one ended up hitting a little too close to home for me and gave me a really bad panic attack. I'd recommend it to people who need more information about eating disorders, not people who have them.

Also, I watched "The Machinist" this last week, and thought the very subtle references to food rituals and effects of eds were really interesting. In one scene, the main character is eating chicken, and has a bottle of mustard sitting next to his plate (one very common food ritual, especially among anorectics, is eating mustard by the bowlful. Lots of flavor, no calories), and in another, as he's looking at himself in the mirror, he senses that someone is standing behind him, although there's actually no one there. I didn't know until recently that this is very common with anorectics, but it's happened to me before. It's a very intensely panicky feeling.
Oh, another book I started reading but haven't yet finished is Your Dieting Daughter.Very informative for anyone with preadolescent children; how to deal with body image issues and concerns.

Cool Stuff to Know (aka, I Love Craigslist)

2005-08-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coca-Cola was originally green
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Only two people signed the Declaration ofIndependenceon July 4th, John Hancock andCharlesThomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what? A. Their birthplace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? A. Obsession
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"? A. One thousand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? A. All invented by women.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A. Honey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year? A. Father's Day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month ... which we know today as the honeymoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow.

2005-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have to brag a little bit. I just got my grades from last semester, and I got A's in both of my classes, which means that for the first time since I started college my GPA is 4.0. I'm very excited. :) Now to just keep it there...

2005-07-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Very cool website.
http://home.howstuffworks.com

2005-07-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Apparently there's something in the OR air to which I'm highly allergic. It's rather odd, because I've never had allergies or hay fever before, but I've never been this stuffy in my life. I was eating Hershey's Kisses earlier, and after the first one realized that for all I was tasting, I might as well be eating mud. Thus the damper was put on chocolate wonderfulness. Ah, well.
I spent the day in Portland, walking along the river and buying things at Powells, which is an amazing bookstore. There's a bookstore in Denver called the Tattered Cover, and although I was very young, I remember how surprised we were at its vastness on our first visit. Powells is probably twice the size, and has used books as well as new, so not only will you find the book you want, you will most likely be able to buy it at a discount. It was very fun. :) Then we walked along the river and watched some street performers. It was quite an enjoyable day, although it would have been nicer if I had been breathing.
Happy birthday to the crazy tree lady!

2005-07-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm safely here in OR. When I was on the plane coming here, I was getting really annoyed with ALL the other passengers-truly, I thought, there has never been such an incredibly inconsiderate group of people in one place before. Then I realized that I hadn't eaten all day. :) I guess blood sugar levels DO make a difference... But it is really beautiful here. I can almost feel my lungs turning back to pink, after all the LA sewage air. Ick. My mom and I took a walk through part of her property, and it was like the hikes we used to go on when we lived in CO. Wildflowers everywhere, trees, bugs, and the fattest, juiciest slugs I've ever seen. (That last part's NOT like CO. :) ) And my kitties! It's so wonderful to have them around!
Katy, if you read this, I just read a book by Madeline L'Engle called The Love Letters. It's definitely not for people who have reading comprehension problems, but it doesn't have as many characters as her other books seem to. It skips back and forth between two main characters in two different time periods. It's really best to read all at once. Anyway, it was really good.
How do I make it so that I can write some words in color and when you click on them they take you to another website?

2005-06-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach yesterday, in preparation for my OR trip (all of the OR people will be jealous of my gorgeous tan :) ); I haven't seen such a perfect beach day in a long time. We got there at 10:30, so there weren't too many other people there yet; the sky was blue with not a cloud in sight, and it was already really warm. Mmm. There's nothing quite like lying on warm sand in the sun. We only stayed for a few hours, but I got some more good color. Jamie says I smile more when I'm tan, which I guess makes sense. I feel pretty. :)
I've been trying to get my life totally organized so that I feel ready to leave on Friday, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not. I didn't get the chance to get a pedicure, so that left me rather miffed; I had to do my own last night, with a little help from J. It's funny how you take little things, like painting your toenails, for granted; it seems like it's really easy to me, but J was having SUCH a hard time. It was pretty entertaining. Anyway-I got my clothes packed, I got the house picked up, if not cleaned, so I'm kinda feeling like I might be on top of things. Then this morning I made sure I had my CD player with me so I could listen to music on the train; however, I failed to notice that I didn't have any CDs with me. Oh, well.
This month is going by so fast, and yet so slowly. I can't wait for Friday!

2005-06-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

So I registered for my fall classes today, and I will be taking English and Nutrition. I'm also trying to talk Jamie into taking a social dance class with me (swing, tango, etc.), which would be a lot of fun. I'm such a dork; I'm SO EXCITED FOR SCHOOL! Fall semester is the best. I love buying school supplies when they're all on sale. :)

2005-06-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Another great reason to be a vegetarian. :)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8347618/

2005-06-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to get out of school for the summer, and oddly enough, now I'm all excited to go back. Hmm. Well, this fall I'm going to try to take English (about time-it's always full), so I think that's what I'm looking forward to. I've been at PCC long enough now that I'm one of the first people to register for classes-sad, but still pretty nice, since I can get into pretty much any class I want. I'm putting off taking math for as long as I possibly can, which probably isn't such a great idea. However, I'm justifying it in this way: while I take English, I also have to take a writing lab. This is the first semester that it's actually been available at a good time for me, so I figure I should jump at the chance while I have it. There are always evening math classes. :)

Quizilla

2005-06-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Where Does Your Beauty Lie?
Your Beauty lies in Innocence; pure, sweet and child-like. You most likely look far younger than you are and your smile would brighten up anyone's day. Seen as naive and sheltered, you can be ignorant at times, but for the most part, it's simply your reputation preceding you. You are most likely rather aware of the realities of life. You are extremely good natured and trustworthy. By the same token, you are a bit too trusting. Be careful, few are as honest and open as you. You might seem girlish still with a love of dresses, ponies, and things most might deem you "too old for". But this doesn't bother you. You enjoy your youth and are going to make it last. After all, you are only as old as you feel.
Some Things That Represent You:
Element: Light, Wind Animal: Kitten Color: White, Pink, Pastels Song: Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney Expression: Innocent Smile
Gemstone: Diamond Mythological Creature: Unicorn Planet: Moon Hair Color: White Eye Color: Silver
Quote: "A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet."

What Kind of Angel are You?
Congrats! You're a Pure Angel! Angels, as far as most of them go, are all compatabile creatures, but Pure ones simply are symbols of God. Pure Angels always appear when a child is born, when a rainbow is seen, or when someone shares their first kiss. They never grow old, and can appear in the shape of a naked woman with white, bold wings. Pure angels are the carriers of god, and show their love to everyone in the world.

Which Pet are You?
You are a gorgeous Faerie Lenny! You have a pretty little soul and you love life! You enjoy everyday and have lots of friends. Plus, you throw a cool party!

Which Proud Princess are You?
You are a perfect princess! You are every queen's dream; amazingly beautiful, a joy for the spotlight and your dream is to get married and have a proud royal family. If any paparazzi come after you, one wink and an innocent smile is all it takes to dumbfound them. You have an immense sense of duty and would never go against the wishes of your family. You spend your time flicking through magazines looking for the latest clothes and jewellery. This doesnt mean youre an airhead though! Behind your striking appearance lies an amazing mind. You have the ability to conjure up the wittiest sayings and are immensely intelligent. Such a combination of intelligence, creativity, power and beauty is often intimidating to those around you.

2005-06-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to a lot of Nicole Nordeman lately-I've had the "Woven and Spun" album for a couple of years, but I never got around to it until recently, and I love it. It's great in the car, as background music while I clean, etc.
Jamie and I went to Laughlin for Memorial Day weekend. Nevada is a weird place. I'm fascinated by it while also being completely repulsed. It's so dirty and sparkly at the same time.

2005-05-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest pet peeves is smokers who litter their cigarette butts. It's like they think it's not really littering-oh, it's biodegradable. Um, NO! You might as well go around pouring toxic amounts of arsenic into people's drinking water. I hate smokers anyway, but walking down any sidewalk these days is just repulsive; cigarette butts are everywhere. It's gross and dirty. I'm thinking about becoming a really militant non-smoker; pulling cigarettes out of mouths while yelling, "Thanks a lot for killing me too!". The other thing that really disgusts me is people who smoke inside, or even worse, in their cars. Ugh. The other day I saw a woman sitting in the back seat of a truck smoking. Her window was down, and the smoke of course was blowing right into my car, but SHE HAD HER BABY ON HER LAP. How could someone be so stupid? I feel very lucky right now to live in a state where you can't smoke indoors in public places. It's a beautiful thing to go into a restaurant where one can actually breathe.

blogthings.com

2005-05-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

What's Your Element?
Your Element Is Water
A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious.That's because you're good at going with the flow - but you also are deep.Highly intuitive, you tune in to people's emotions and moods easily.You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others.You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves.You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What Flavor Pocky Are You?
You Are Milk Pocky
Your attitude: caring and charmingSmooth and silkly... invigorating and natural.You are like comfort food for the soul.

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
Your Linguistic Profile:
55% General American English
25% Yankee
15% Upper Midwestern
5% Dixie
0% Midwestern

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?
Your Birthdate: May 16
Your birth on the 16th day of the month gives a sense of loneliness and generally the desire to work alone. You are relatively inflexible, and insist on your being independent. You need a good deal of time to rest and to meditate. You are introspective and a little stubborn. Because of this, it may not be easy for you to maintain permanent relationships, but you probably will as you are very much into home and family. This birth day inclines to interests in the technical, the scientific, and to the religious or the unknown realm of spiritual explorations. The date gives you a tendency to seek unusual approaches and makes your style seem a little different and unique to those around you. Your intuition is aided by the day of your birth, but most of your actions are bedded in logic, responsibility, and the rational approach. You may be emotional, but have a hard time expressing these emotions. Because of this, there may be some difficulty in giving or receiving affection.

What Age Do You Act?
You Are 16 Years Old
Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

2005-05-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

I got the new Jaci Velasquez album, "Beauty has Grace", for my birthday, and highly recommend it to other Jaci fans. She's taken her sound in a new direction, still very pop-oriented, but with an edge, and I like it a lot.

2005-05-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

So is anyone else as disturbed as I am that Britney Spears is pregnant before me? Poor kid...
I was just reading my sister's blog, and it's interesting to see the similarities between her and my youngest sister. I guess depression takes the same voice in every body-I know during my teenage years, and even some more recently, my journal entries had that same tone. But here's the thing that's great; even when you're sad, and you're going through a lot, someone has always gone through it before you, and survived. I know it feels like you're all alone, and experiencing something that's completely brand new, but if you talk to anybody about it, they have felt the same way. (I understand that in a way, this is also a little bit discouraging-surely there's SOMETHING unique about me!-but we'll just overlook that part for now.) Here's a quote I like: depression is just anger without enthusiasm. I think that's true. If you can get back to the enthusiasm, the passion, then you can generally get yourself out of the rut of depression. And sometimes all you need is a sunny day. :)

2005-05-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hee-hee. I was just reading my sister's blog and decided to start another one of my own, and then I saw I already have this one, and it's been exactly a year since I wrote. :)
I'm taking a psych 1 class this semester. It's not really the most exciting psych class ever, but it is interesting. However, at our last class meeting we were going over the chapter in the book that talks about eating disorders, and the teacher barely even glossed over them, getting all kinds of things wrong in the process. It very much irritated me. I know that since that's my "niche" I'm much more knowledgable about eds than the average person, but it's not that hard to get your facts right. So here are my corrections, and some basic ed info.
Contrary to popular belief, there are not only 2 main types of eating disorders. There are actually 4, which are classified as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive overeating, and EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). EDNOS is the most common, and includes chronic dieters as well as those who have eating disorders that can't be diagnosed (in order to be diagnosably anorexic, you have to be at least 25% below your lowest healthy body weight, and, if you're a girl, have stopped menstruating). About 93% of females over age 9 are EDNOS, because the definition also includes those who are obsessed with weight and/or body image, those who exercise excessively, etc.
Anorexia nervosa is intentionally starving yourself with the intention of losing weight. Some studies show that it is not necessarily a psychological disorder; sometimes it is actually a chemical imbalance (serotonin affects your appetite). Anorectics typically have extremely low self-esteem, have trouble feeling emotions, cannot accept compliments, think that they're fat even when they are excruciatingly thin, and enjoy cooking for others.
Bulimics binge and purge. They will eat huge amounts of food, (I've heard of cases where a person will eat 50,000 calories in one binge, covering a time period of about 8 hours), then purge it from their systems through vomiting, laxatives, exercise, or a combination of any of the three.
Compulsive overeaters also binge, but without the purging that bulimics use. This is considered an ed because it usually involves emotional eating-that is, eating to fill some kind of void. Where anorectics starve themselves so that they will feel something, compulsive overeaters eat to smother their pain.
There is another misconception that eds are a psychological problem. This is actually not the case. Eds are merely a symptom of the problem, manifesting through the psyche, which could be any one of a number of things. Most eds begin either at the beginning or the end of puberty (age 9-13, or 18-25), two periods of drastic life and physical changes.
Eds are somewhat romanticized by the media and our thoughts-people think, oh, to lose weight I'll just be anorexic for a few weeks. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Eds are really serious problems-they can be equated with drug addictions in how they take hold of you physically and mentally. The main difference is that drug addictions are actually easier to overcome than eds; you can avoid drugs, situations with drugs, and drug dealers, but you can't really avoid food. A recovering anorectic, for instance, is presented 3 times a day every day with an opportunity to relapse. And as far as the media goes, the coverage of Mary Kate Olsen's ed disgusted and saddened me. Any time an actress gains an ounce, tabloids are all over her, speculating on whether she's pregnant or unhappy, talking about how awful she looks, and then when she's a little too thin, they're all over her for that. It's a very thin line. Those recovering from eds are already going through enough; they certainly don't need their picture up everywhere.
And that's all I have to say about THAT, for right now.
My other class this semester is American Sign Language, and I LOVE it! My teacher is completely deaf; for the first hour of the first day of class we had an interpreter, and since then we've been on our own. It's actually a really good way to learn, I think; we learn a lot faster, although it's a little bit frustrating at times. I'd like to be able to have a real conversation with him, not one that's a few signs thrown into my finger spelling of words whose signs I don't yet know. Anyway, I'm really happy that ASL is beginning to take off in the hearing world-it's a good skill to have, and it's actually a much more effective form of communication than verbal speech.

2004-05-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

So I decided it was time to start another blog, since my last one got canceled. I don't have much to say right now. I am a student at a local JC, studying theater and psychology and with career aspirations in those same fields. I am also currently training to be a wedding planner, and at some point will probably also be attending cosmetology school so that I can cut hair as a hobby. This blog is kind of intended as an outlet, and is also just for fun. As the description says, it is just word potpourri; a gathering of my thoughts on various and sundry subjects.