Saturday, November 28, 2009

Being Thankful

Mom: I am thankful for having my family here for dinner and to be able eat all this food and have a happy life and job during a very bad economic year.
Me: I am just happy I got to be a Berkeley student during a new era of protesting and riots.
Mom: Why?
Me: Because whats the point of paying for Berkeley if you are not a protesting tree hugging hippie? I can't graduate during an era of education and reform, thats just so unBerkeley.

Thanksgiving dinner...

Dad: Are you sure we are celebrating Thanksgiving?
Me: Yes... don't you see all this food?
Dad: I thought we eat what the indians and pilgrims ate.
Me: We are...
Dad: The only thing I see on this table from the first Thanksgiving is Corn... and its not even on a cob
Me: Didn't we buy a salad too?

Happy Thanksgiving! NO really...

Last year for thanksgiving we had the following menu:
Honey Baked Ham
Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes
Stove Top Turkey Stuffing
French's Green Bean Casserole
Kraft Mac and Cheese
Corn from a can
Pillsbury Croissants
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce (Jelly)
Sugared Sweet Potatoes
Canned Gravy

This year we had:
Honey Baked Ham
Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Sizzling Green Beans
Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole
Gluten Free Gravy
Canned Gravy
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
Stove Top Stuffing
Home Made Gluten Free Stuffing
Kraft Mac and Cheese
Gluten Free Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Safeway Dinner Rolls
Pillsbury Croissants
Gluten Free Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Homemade Sweet Potato Casserole
Flash Frozen Resteamed Corn

Hmm.... is it me or did we just get like 10 more side dishes compared to last year? During an economic fall out shouldn't we be eating less?

Thursday, November 26, 2009

I'm An Incompleter

Definition: I seem to never stick to 1 journal... or one blog.

It concluded to me after reading my friend Connie's blog, that I am not a sticker. I stick to writing all the time. But I never stick to just one place. I started my first private journal at age 7. Still today, that journal has only 7 pages written in it. I have a very wide series of unfinished novels, half started journals and 8 or 9 blogs floating around the internet with only 1 or 2 posts in them because I can't for the life of me remember when the last time I posted was and what the password or even blog name is. I also have a series of random AIM screennames I can't remember either. The only consistent thing is my 1 myspace page that I have not visited since 2008 and my 1 facebook page that gets visits every 4 weeks or so. Even my calmail I rarely check. Man... no wonder I seem like a lazy overachiever. To the outside world... I have all this stuff going on... but in reality... I think I am just an incompleter.... I seem to just quit when it gets too boring! But I am changing that! Life may get dull... but there is always some crazy who thinks your life is more interesting then your own... so blog about it!

Plus this helps me keep in touch with a million and one friends around the world.... or more like acquaintances who I believe really have some minimal interest in what I am doing with my life.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

When Your Addiction Will Kill....

So I was stupid enough to run errands for Thanksgiving and hit up Whole Foods Today and on my way back, I decided to get off the main road and drive through the little road by the Alta Bates Hospital where as we know all the drunk kids end up. Well, as I was by the stop sign, I saw a guy like this:



He was more worst off looking. This guy was in the gown that shows your butt, and hooked up to 4 IVs and standing out there in the blistering cold SMOKING! He was shaved bald and looked like he was dying but he was smoking a cigarette. If it were weed or something, I might have understood, but he was just standing there smoking his cig like it was another day and he wasn't hooked up to 4 IVs and holding on to a metal pole.

It kind of dawned on me just how addictive this stuff is. I mean, when you can't heal in a hospital without smoking one... you know you have a problem. I don't smoke cause I think its gross, I never probably will. My bestie and my brother smoke and some of my other friends do it on occasion but the whole process doesn't appeal to me. It grosses me out and I purposely make a gagging noise when I smell the tobacco scent that is glued to my brother and his girlfriend after they go out and smoke at 2 in the morning when its 20 below freezing outside.

When I was more juvenile than I am now, I would walk by smokers in public and making this coughing up a lung sound. I would start gagging pretty much and making it sound like I was choking for air because of the smoke, hoping that would give them the hint. I don't really see cigarette commercials on tv anymore, but yet, people still smoke all the time. When is this going to be something that phases out? Smoking is never going to have a medical purpose. It's going to kill you faster than it will ever help you. So why is it that people still smoke?

I think I heard this in a movie or a tv show sometime in the last 48 hours that I have been on a tv watching craze... "One day... that's the time I lose with you every time you smoke a cigarette... one less day I will spend with you."

It's sad, but its true. Smoking takes life off... so why do people still do it? And in some people's case... lie about it.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Las Vegas Baby!

This is the real birthday party! This was 1 year in the planning and it turned out to be the best birthday ever... more than I could have imagined and it was worth every missed day of rehearsal, school and every lost penny! I loved this 4 day weekend with my big sisters and my mom came along for the ride.


Grand Canyon- This was the first adventure of the trip. This place was breath taking and we hiked for 2 hours, but it wasn't like it was more than a giant pile of rocks.

This is when the party started... my sisters arrived... here I am opening the door to our PENTHOUSE!


This is the first night out with my sisters, we went to the Bellagio for dinner at Noodles.

In front of the Bellagio with "Paris" in the background. Its a beautiful sight with my beautiful sisters!

Hello Mile High Bellagio fountain of greatness!

Hello Noodle... say hello to belly.
Good Morning Champagne! Apparently a morning is not morning without Mimosa. Champagne and Orange juice... isn't this considered alcoholism to drink this early?

Posing for the Mimosa... Cheers!

Everyone loves a mimosa!



Eating Breakfast at Bellagios Buffet, this was sickening how much we ate, and boy did we enjoy it. I have never had so much raw fish in one sitting without worrying about the tab! And this is after mimosa... once again, I repeat... drinking problem!!!!




Saturday, November 14, 2009

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

I am officially 21 today! Yep, 21. You heard that right, I can now rent a car (plus the extra fees), and buy alcohol (although I haven't bought any cigarettes yet and that was 3 years ago). 21 is a good age to be... for well... the whole purpose of saying, hey! I am 21. Life is interesting, I have fun and I really enjoy being able to have fun without the use and abuse of alcohol even though with fraternities and sororities surrounding me it should be a driving force. Anyways, this year, 21 means lots of fun. GO CAL BEARS!

This year on my birthday was the Cal football game, and I got food, fun and a winning football game! And my best friend came up for the game. It was slow, but super fun and I really enjoyed the day even though it was chill and not full of excitement, I did have a birthday party, where everyone in my ward who has a November Birthday came together to celebrate at the same time.


BB decorated my side of the room for my birthday. Aren't these my colors?


Say Hello to a very big CAL fan and her best friend Missy. I love the cal gear I had on. Socks, Shirt, Sweater, Scarf and Face Tattoos.

We tried to take one of those awkward family photos where everyone is solemn and has awkwardly placed hands, and well... it didn't work. The crowns signify that we are November Birthday people.


We had an arousing game of twister.



Saturday, November 7, 2009

It's Not Game Day Without Kettle Korn





A new discovery has dawn upon a new tradition between EmJ and I. We love to munch, and we love junk. We are in college and we love sports and fun. So we spend a lot of time together going out to eat. I mean the basis of our relationship is over food. Thats where it started and thats where we continue our bond. We love food and our new tradition if Cal football and popcorn!


Since the first game that we went to this year, we eat junk. Its tradition. Two things we have to have every game is popcorn of some sort and soda. Not any soda, but the $5 huge plastic “souvenir” cup of soda that you get only at Cal games. These are cups that we keep talking about keeping but never actually do.


Our new tradition, now that the season is coming to a close that we promise to continue next year is Gold Rush Kettle Korn. They serve this stuff on Calapalooza, at many cal events and especially al Cal football games. We love it! This stuff is like gold for gluten free eaters also because its good, its sweet and salty and its gluten free!



EmJ and I love the stuff and we are going to make sure we walk up the stadiums steps to the food booths at the top of the colosseum from now on so that we can enjoy the good eats that come with the hike. We love it and we love eating it and I think its a tradition that should be long shared forever. This is Cal Football! And this is Kettle Korn territory.


---- We happened to lose this game against Oregan State, but we had fun going to it and that was what mattered to us most. We got to put on Cal face tatoos and have a blast in the blistering cold weather as we sipped cold soda, ate popcorn, and other lovely junky delights. Another winning day with being best friends!


Friday, November 6, 2009

The Drinking Dilemma...

I love my friends, I love to party, and I love to be social, but sometimes, there draws a line with where one can loving and fun and where one needs to draw a line. Last night would be one of them. Not but an hour ago, paramedics came and took away a dear friend of mine who was so drunk that she was found under a car talking to herself in front of a fraternity. I rolled into my room around 12am on Friday, after kicking off another party weekend with "Thirsty Thursday". I must of been in my room for no more than 20 minutes, when suddenly there was a knock on the door and a frantic Molly was at the door worried and looked pale as a ghost. Turns out our dear friend from the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority Barbie, went out for her Freshman kidnapping by her sisters from her sororities and was dragged home by Molly after she received a call to come pick up Barbie. Barbie came back to the dorm, so drunk that she couldn't barely walk, and when they got her into the room, she was throwing up everything in their bathroom. She was falling unconscious and barely breathing at a certain point and finally the RA on call had to call the paramedics to who needed to haul her to the hospital for treatment because she was really that sick.

Molly and Kelly who share the room with Barbie cleaned up after Barbie when she left and I went to get Barbie's cell phone and sweater so that when I went to pick her up she wouldn't be freezing. I watched as the paramedics took Barbie away from my window and she looked so ashamed of it all. She was covering her face as they put her in the ambulance, as if people would see her face and shake their heads. I called every hour on the hour to check up on Barbie in the hospital and see if she needed to be picked up when she was discharged. Turns out that she was there for about 5 hours before I went to pick her up from the hospital. I remember being her at one time, the social drinker who loved her vodka a little too much. But I drank to forget sometimes, and I drank so that I would be more loose. Now I know the affects of alcohol and don't want to drink, but thats my own thing.

The hours following Barbie's return to the dorm and the morning after the whole debacle, gave a new side to Barbie to everyone who thought they were close to her. She truly believed that she would have to walk home from the hospital, which gave me insight into who she believed her friends were. And the following moments, she was rude and disrespectful to the people who were there for her during her hours of need, who felt at loss when they could not seem to make her feel better. It changes your perspective on people when they shun the very people who showed true commitment (and if I dare to say Love) for their friend.

Alcohol will always have its affects on people, especially college students who don't know how much to drink or where to draw the line. Especially those who are drinking underage. These are our golden years, our years to empower our spirits of independence, to discover who we are and to make lasting friendships for the rest of our lives. We will all learn the consequences of our mistakes and the benefits of our sober thinking.

The drinking dilemma makes me wonder... what is college life without the alcohol? Molly swears off drinking for a while now after the whole Barbie debacle, she was truly scared and I don't think she wants to feel that way again, a helpless feeling where you want to help, but are at an end to the road. Barbie is angry at what she called an "over reaction" to her drunkenness.

Personally... I think time and some sober time off will teach everyone a lesson about the abuse of alcohol and when its just fun versus when its alcoholism.

Does anyone believe college kids have a higher alcohol abuse rate than any other age group?

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A Halloween Extravaganza!

Our ward had its annual Halloween extravaganza and Haunted House. This years theme being: "The Mystery of Hearst Mansion"! It was a blast, even though I missed the first 3 hours of the party, and the haunted house. And didn't really have any of my "crew" from last year. But I had some of my new friends and it was a blast either way! I had a North House party that night, but I missed it due to my celiacs conference (which you will get a review from later), but I stopped by the show my infamous costume and invite people out to dance and party!

I wanted to show off my costumes fun "text".



After meeting up with some friends, we headed up to the Hearst Mansion and partied. It was fun, and I met up with a bunch of church friends and further enjoyed my party experience.


My soldier and I had fun... we are carpool buddies and its a blast spending time with her. Poor thing had been setting up since 6pm and around 11pm her cell phone battery was dead and so was she, by 12.30, she was gone.


Some of my friends had fun dancing! It was a bunch of fun either way!

I found myself a bunch of grapes!


One polygamist, wolverine and robin hood... what a group! The polygamist family actually won the best costume contest... thank you thank you.... it was my idea that they do that as a group costume and it was a hit!


And to round off the night, I found my technological companion! A calculator to a cell phone... the two things every college student needs!

Needless to say... I had a blast, I was tired and ready to die when the night rolled over to morning, but it was fun and I am glad I got out and enjoyed myself!