8 things thing

Well, I've been tagged (there's a first for everything I suppose). And unlike the 25-things-about-me facebook phenom that I vehemently refused to participate in, I'm actually going to fill this one out. Mainly because I'm waiting for my laundry to be done, and, well, Jillian-Anne's blog is one of the few I look forward to reading :)

8 things I look forward to:

* starting cosmetology school in June

* going back to Aus some day

* owning a charger for my Macbook again so I can stop mooching off Elisa (I yub you Eesa)

* not being dirt poor for a little while (yessss! to student loan money)

* going home to visit my fam sometime this summer

* furniture! and paint! and wood floors! (June June June June June)

* Harry Potter 6

* watching O'Grady with John-Ross

8 things I did yesterday:

* played with Sego

* watched Ryan, Olivia, and Joe weed the garden (because I'm a slacker)

* listened to some Craig David (bahaha. but seriously.)

* cleaned out my cupboard in the kitchen

* got some soul shaking hiccups that took ages to get rid of

* interviewed for a job I don't really want but definitely need

* facebook stalked (i know) <- Me too, J. Me too.

* watched some 30 Rock

8 things I wish I could do:

* clean anything and everything with the snap of a finger

* apparate

* travel the world in a year

* be done with school (cosmetology and my BA)

* play an instrument well enough to be in a band

* be completely self sufficient in a house far away from the rest of civilization

* own a puppy

* grow my hair out faster

8 shows I watch:

* Gossip Girl

* 30 Rock

* Dexter

* It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

* Arrested Development (well, the DVDs anyway)

* O'Grady (also no longer on the air, but one of the best cartoons ever)

* The Simpsons (only the old seasons now and then though)

* uuuuuuh... I can't think of anything else. Soooo.... my life. I watch my life.

I am not good at going to bed.

I like my AA TriBlend romper more than is good for me. I've never loved short shorts so much in my life. They make my sleeping life four times better.

Between now and November I must: read every book in my library then sell the ones I don't love passionately. Sell anything that isn't of great importance/use to me. Work two jobs. Pay off all debts. Save up for Utah. Pack and store anything of great importance but not of much use. Fit my life into my car. Road trip it down to Utah over the course of two weeks, stopping in Portland and maybe Idaho along the way. Move into Cecilia's house. Find a job in Provo. Live happily and freely and feel as liberated as I do now.

As such, I have decided to: 100% stop mooching off of my parents once I move down to Utah which means I pay for: rent, car insurance, health insurance, gas, school, life in general. Stop living in fear of disapproval. Give up sleep in lieu of work. Eat healthier to make sure my lack of sleep doesn't make me sick. Save up money for a new, more gas efficient car. Stop stressing so much. Be happy.

I wonder if I have enough stuff to have a garage sale. Or if I should go to the likes of used bookstores and urbanXchange in Tacoma. If only I weren't on Accutane--I'd go donate plasma. Maybe I'll see if my mom would let me sell some of our family stuff and take the money if I do all the work... hmm... going on my To Consider list.

Basically I am planning on doing everything in my power (graveyard shift at a hotel front desk not excluded) to get down to Utah ASAP. Particularly since I've got a bed down there with my name on it. And on said bed, I plan on: being better at going to bed. Sleeping instead of working. Wearing my AA Romper as much as possible. Being myself. Enjoying life. I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.

Some active causes to consider

I've been considering today (thanks to all the headlines about the SF torch ceremony) whether to participate in this whole "boycott the Olympics" thing. On the one hand, I love the Olympics. Particularly the summer Olympics. On the other hand, there's that side note where China aided in the Darfur genocide and that little thing going on in Tibet... what's a girl to do? How does one boycott the Olympics anyway? Without actually going to China I mean. Someone answer me that.

Also on the topic of death and displacement, let's talk about Hurricane Katrina for a moment. Has anyone heard about The Pink Project? I'm highly confused about this thing. Brad Pitt and his cohorts have spent a TON of money putting together these pink solar powered lit up tent houses in the lower 9th ward with constellations around them that reflect the sky on the night Katrina hit (because obviously with all that hurricane weather the lower 9th ward could totally see the stars). My confusion is, wouldn't all that money be better spent on actual houses? Perhaps I'm missing the point, I don't know. I mean we all like a good monument to those who have died. Thousands of people travel to Pearl Harbor and Ground Zero every year, but... tent houses that are uninhabitable?

I don't get it. Someone explain. Please.

Alright, I am seriously ready to just sell everything I have and go to Africa to help all the little kids with AIDs (yes, I did watch Idol Gives Back, thank you very much). My heart just breaks for them. I can't imagine living without parents and having HIV. They're all so young and sweet and have nothing.

Sigh, new before-I-die checklist:
Provide clean water to someone who otherwise couldn't get any
Protect a child from Malaria
Work in an orphanage in India
Feed a hungry family
Decrease my contribution to global warming
Save a chunk of rain forest (will help previous by bucketloads)
Solve world poverty

P.S. Did you know becoming a vegetarian decreases global warming and contributes to ending poverty? Read about the environmental positives and the world hunger positive to becoming a vegetarian.

P.P.S. Did you know some biofuels, like ones made from corn, are actually increasing global warming because deforestation is taking place to make room for more corn crops? Yeah. I was surprised too. Read about it here.

Just some things to think about :)

Oh, the Place You'll Go!

New Life Plan:

1) Save up money for school while ditching... I mean taking French and online BYU classes
2) Go to BYU
3) Have insanely good time at BYU
4) Have insanely good time at BYU whilst dating cute foreign boy/boy who speaks different language thanks to mission
5) Talk Avery into applying for Summer internship in Australia
6) Mooch off of Avery for a month during her Summer internship in Australia
7) Work for publisher and/or book store part time
8) Graduate from BYU
9) Marry cute foreign boy
10) Start kitschy little book store while cute foreign husband finishes Masters/Doctorate
11) Have darling little children
12) Live happily ever after, preferably in cute foreign husband's villa in Tuscany/native country

Crafty little things

I've been on a bit of a Project Runway binge the past couple days. I go through phases with this show. I'll forget it's started, and suddenly catch a rerun marathon and not be able to stop watching. I'm rooting for Christian. I love his overly-sculpted hair and think he's got the most vision. I'm hoping it comes down to Christian, Jillian and Victorya.

For some reason I've had a thing for Peter Bjorn and John this week. They're wonderfully dancy! I don't think Brandon quite understands my love of poppy music yet. I try to explain it to him, but it's going to take a while to catch on I think. I pretend to be a music snob, but honestly, if it's bright and happy, I'll probably love it! And I mean lyrics don't get much better than "She's stepping on my shoes, and I couldn't want it more. That way I always know she's close." Adorable.

Sooo, when I started this blog, I didn't think anyone was going to read it. I mean that. I put up links to it on my Facebook and Myspace, but honestly, I didn't think anyone paid attention to my profiles on either of those sites. But hey! I'm glad to have you all here! Most of my ramblings are just that: ramblings. So pay no mind if I got off on some crazy random tangent. It's bound to happen. And has. That and I'm going to try to keep writing as if no one will be reading it. It keeps me more honest.

Now then, back to business. I want to make a list of things I'd like to do in the near future. So here they are:

1) Put all Australia pics into tangible photo album with written out stories and everything
2) Learn to crochet and (2b) crochet an afghan
3) Knit something cute and more delicate than the chunky scarves I've made in the past
4) Organize my apartment (my room specifically)

I think I'll go from there. I've been skimming some knitting blogs lately and I just really love the things some of these people make. They're delicate, crafty, original. Basically, I'm inspired. That and Project Runway seriously brings out the craft in me.

I'll try to take pictures of my endeavors. And I think I'll start on that organizing project now as a matter of fact.

So, until tomorrow, adieu!

A move forward and a glance back

2007 was a rocky year. There were a lot of ups and downs. But it ended on a pretty high note and I have high hopes for 2008, though I suspect it will be more of an interim year than a dynamic one. I suppose one never knows for certain though until the thing itself actually happens.

I'm applying for BYU for either Spring or Summer term. I'm really hoping I get in. I'd like to get back into school. If I don't, I've decided it won't be devastating. I'll just take online classes, continue working, and reapply for Winter 2009.

I'm currently working for my parents, with whom I also live. Saying this makes me feel like a slacker, but honestly, I love it. I love my family. I have an adorable adopted baby brother who I'm still getting to know and having time to be around him and the rest of my family is really uplifting.

I'm learning a lot about the Gospel these days. About what it means to be a member of the church and how we can have an effect on other people. I have some goals for the coming year, some of them abstract, some of them concrete, but I feel like they will all help me to become a better person, and hopefully they will strengthen my testimony.

I'm thinking I'll document my personal changes on here. But I'd also really like to document any projects I do this year. For the most part I let my creativity go to waste the past twelve months, but I'd like to change that. So crochet how to books, here I come!

Anyway, I hope if you're reading this, you'll come along on the journey. I can't promise it will always be interesting, but hopefully it will have it's moments.