A Very Fine Place to Start

But I can't seem to find that place.

Much has happened this week, yet I don't feel like I have much to blog about. What I am learning is if I wait too long to blog (even though it hasn't even been a week since the last post), the less I have to say. Strange phenomena, yes?

So here's a brief synopsis of my Thanksgiving week... (and only in black and white lettering, as my camera's battery died and I lack the sheer will to search for it in my blackhole of a purse to charge the juices).

Tuesday night, the fam drove down to Salt Lake, arriving around midnight and then snuggled up in one-room slumber party fashion around 1am. The following day brought us a chance to see the uber cool exhibit, Body Worlds, downtown. As I took my Anatomy and Physiology course online years ago, my cadaver experience lent itself as an e-dissection of cartoon frogs. Hence, this "live," but "dead" show of once-living bodies and the inner workings of our magnificent systems, was AWESOME. Disembowelment, full peripheral nervous system layouts, and embryonic growth from day one to birth, only made for a fascinating experience (and a great academic review).

Though it is rather pricey, it was well worth it. And it was great to verify my blood pressure still runs super low. Guess end of the semester cramming and a long run of tachycardic palpitations from heartache have not caused too much damage.

Wednesday evening was filled with turkey, broccoli and cheese casserole (my favorite), mashed potatoes, delectable rolls, and Grandma's famous raspberry jam. Moreover, the edible sustenance was perfectly accented with great company. Apparently, I have not yet graduated to the "adult" table, due to extra occupancy from marriages and significant others joining the feast. Alas, I must relinquish all hopes in ever outgrowing the "teenager" table. Perhaps, one day, when I suddenly wish the aging clock to stop, I will appreciate the seating arrangement. ;)

Though most of November 27th (Happy birthday, Parker! I so adore you, my sweet brother) was spent in the car driving back home, I enjoyed a focaccia turkey sandwich from the Flying J gas station in Brigham City, apple pie at the Peay home, and a third viewing of Twilight. And Edward gets sexier every time.

Parker's girlfriend, Meegan Small, joined our family for the weekend. What a doll. We dabbled in a Senior All-Star football game for Madison, near-whole family jogs, Broadway-esque performances from my little sister's sing and dance group at Boise's Festival of Trees, and a fourth viewing of Twilight. Yep, E-dawg still so easy on the eyes.

And I dabbled in an evening out on the town with old friends on Friday. I haven't had so much fun in quite a long time. The Boise downtown nightlife made for a great high school reunion, particularly highlighted by the scariest pirate face competition with the Hardy boys. So looking forward to Christmas break for a repeat.

Now back to the real world. Gotta focus. Gotta revamp my priorities. Gotta reboot the system. As an old friend would say in a determined tone, "Face off," while pretending to remove the invisible party mask in a single hand sweeping motion.

But, hey, it's only for two more weeks, right?

Thanksgiving Break.

A time to show gratitude for our packed to the brim cornucopia of bounteous blessings.

A time for overindulgence, for going to bed with a stomach ache, and for carbo loading (for no reason whatsoever, or to pad our "winter coats").

A time to spend extra time with people we love, and laughing, reminiscing, all night long.

A time for a trip to Salt Lake (though it be a quickie this time) for Mangum Family Turkey-Day dinner Wednesday night. Every year. It must be done. No questions asked.

A time to see too many movies in the theater; and consequentially overindulge (ah, yes, we have seen this verb before) the pocketbook. Hence, a time to rationalize a possible third viewing of Twilight. Again, no questions asked.

And most of all, a time to spend the former usual hours spent in the classroom, shopping. (...When I have a vehicle averaging 32 miles to the gallon, further excuses naturally extend themselves.)

PS: Graduation arrives on my doorstep in T-25 days.

PPS: Which really only means 12 "school days."

PPPS: That is LESS THAN two weeks!

Committed

So maybe, just maybe, I loved seeing the movie, Twilight, Friday night.

And maybe... just maybe, I loved it so much I went to see it again, today.

And furthermore, my two younger brothers definitely wanted to see it with me, too. There are zero maybes in that claim.

So in a very short span of sixteen hours...

• I have had five of those to stare at Rob Pattinson on the big screen, and talk cinematic-shop with the family members who joined me;
• two+ hours to cozy up in my pajamas to watch Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire- aka Cedric Diggory, aka Rob Pattinson;
• eight hours of dream-filled sleep (and did in fact remember the dream) with you know who as the star;
• and sixty minutes to download the Twilight soundtrack and transfer to my iPod, to then listen in my car while driving to see the movie, again.

I have sold my soul to Twilight.

Or perhaps I should say, traded my soul with Twilight in exchange for the trusting excitement that someday such love and passion for a man, will be my very own.

Until then, my main squeeze Rob will do just fine as proxy.

Attack of the Grocery Carts

Upon my arrival in the Albertson's parking lot to do a bit of grocery shopping, I turn off my engine, but leave the car's power on so I could enjoy the finale of a beautiful Jon Schmidt Christmas piece blaring (literally) through my speakers. All of a sudden a mammoth-sized gust of wind took flight; it was as if God himself was doing a little housekeeping and decided to blow off the millenias of collected dust from this old planet. But instead of provoking sneezes for earth's inhabitants, He only could muster up some whirlwinds of leaves, in transit grocery shoppers' hair... and grocery carts.

Next thing I know, my peaceful moment of reflection mid piano concerto is abruptly interrupted as I see two metal grocery carts flying toward my car, at ramming speed. My small brown eyes widen to a full stretch, and I begin to laugh heartily, out loud. What should I do?! The carts aren't slowing down... And they literally have my Optima as the sole "must destroy" target.

I quickly turn down my music (it is such a habit, as I cannot think clearly with musical interference), and with my keys still in the ignition, I fire up the engine. I flip the transmission into reverse, simultaneously check my mirrors, look behind my shoulders (while still laughing), and sporadically swerve out of the yellow lined parking space.

With the white colored target now out of killing range, the grocery carts opt for a suicide mission instead, and plant their gray scrap metal into the fender of a nearby vehicle.

Phew!!! Who knew an ordinary day at the food market, with the help of inanimate objects, could turn the trip deadly. Or at least, costly.

Okay, now back to that Christmas music... Volume up!

{Moral of the story: Put your quietly-violent shopping carts AWAY when finished with them. Just like the use of a car's turning blinker, it's really not that difficult. Thanks.}

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PS: Twilight. Tomorrow night. 7pm. I haven't been this obsessed about a movie, and/or actor (ahem, Rob Pattinson) since the partnership of Titanic and Leonardo DiCaprio. Am I really eleven years old all over again?? Seriously, it's kind of out of control.

A Mid-Autumn Night's Dream

Secret of Life #1. Subconscious Stimulation.

During my slumber, I hardly ever dream. Or if I do, I never remember it. I claim this as my reasoning for my frequent deja-vu. (I dream the future without even knowing it. Schyeah, the basic five sense package is SO for losers).

But, I woke up Tuesday morning very vividly remembering my dream. The kind of dream where you suddenly realize your bedroom is a strange and lonely place, and immediately the eyelids are shut closed, desperately trying to escape back to fantasy land. The imagination is set free to run wild, to paint the messiest collage of color known to the world of visible light.

So, perhaps my imagination is reeling from a lack of such uncultivated energy… and was trying to tell me something; or wanted to take matters into its own hands to mitigate the effects of such deprivation. Though I am surely not one to seek it out in reality “just because.”

Yes, you guessed it.

I definitely had a make-out dream.

So as I quickly squeezed my eyelids to an impenetrable seal, the dream naturally, and unwillingly, was fading- or at least the reality of it all. And yet, my mind allowed me to take a few moments and really soak in the emotion behind the warm, seductive embrace- and the strange remembrance of the light pink collared shirt worn by the handsome victim.

No worries, the ecstasy was PG-13, or dare I say PG (as ratings go these days). Nonetheless, the power of a kiss is undeniable. And physically taxing. Waking up to a pounding heart can be quite arduous. Ohh, I can see the newspaper article now:

“Young girl dies of myocardial infarction from provocative REM.”

The dream stuck with me for the rest of the day, and clearly long enough to persuade me to write it down as a legal document. Being that every time I record my most inner thoughts (though quite censored for the public), it is only more proof and hard physical evidence of my guilty plea for what have you. Lunatic; hopeless romantic; utterly mad woman; super cheese ball; unashamed. You pick.

So, if my deja-vu theory proves correct, guess my lips won’t be burning calories anytime soon.

Zero Dead Zones

The new LG EnV2 from Verizon is mine. Happy early Christmas to me.




(Though I am justified.. as my old warrior-of-a-phone's monitor was hanging on by a single plastic hinge. She was bruised, battered, scuffed, and on her death bed... I just sped up the process a bit.)

RIP sleek silver oversimplified flip phone. You were good to me.

The Future of America

And to further my Christmas cheers...

A double-fisted cheers to my dear friend, Derek Erstad, as he embarks on a journey many of us only fantasize about (if that even, as most of us do not know such lengths are possible).

Derek will be interviewing in San Francisco tomorrow for the Marshall scholarship. And then he will be off to Seattle to interview, as he was chosen as a Rhodes Scholar finalist. Simply to be nominated is an incredible feat, one of which makes me so proud to have him as someone so near and dear to my heart; but if he is selected, he will have the opportunity to study and research medicine at Oxford University in England for two years.

I like to brag, because he never does.

Good luck to you Derek. You have my utmost respect, and my open arms to welcome our superhero back home.