Raining on Snowday.

WEll folks, just got back from my second day of skiing after a good four year break. And BOY, I forgot how great it is!

The first day the snow was great GREAt, but the visibility was not too good. Today we reaped the results of an all night rainfest, so the snow was, needless to say, pretty dang icey. But it was sunny and gorgeous and the views of snow-capped mountains and evergreens for miles with the sun causing glistening crystals in the corner of my eye.... that made up for any ice in sight.

Things here are good otherwise. I haven't been updating much because I'm really not at the ol' computer very often, but let me tell ya, I love this place! It snowed a bunch last week which was great, but it has been 50 degrees here the last 2 days, so of course the winter affects are suffering! Hopefully we can get some kind of crazy snow front up in this soon! :)

Missing you all, hope this will tide you over until I can get some pictures of me on the ski hill up here!!!

Davey.

I'm serious. I'm so fur-reals. You guys gotta get on the tele tonight and see my big brother on TV. He's the one with the creeper's mustache.



(better blogs to come, I'm sure... be appeased, Oh blog gods)

Blatant Disreguard for Authority.

hulloooo ( says Matthew)

I'll just say this. My ovaries have a blatant disreguard for authority.

Where Will You be?

Monday, December 19th....

Where will you be that evening....?

I'll be watching We Are Scientists on the David Letterman show!

Be there!

Home.

Well I made it, and the cab ride wasn't too bad, and the waking up at 4:00am wasn't too bad, and the 4.5 hour plane ride wasn't too bad.

And now I'm home, and it feels a bit more like Christmas, and I'm a little closer to relaxing, and I'm a little closer to feeling like I'm home.

Proposal: Road Trip.

Either December 19-21 (I know, coming up!) or January 4-6.....

I realize that for you workin folk this doesn't work out. But, ya see, the dates aren't flexible.

It would be to Colorado, 'round about Denver area.

Anyone? Anyone?

Comin' Down To It.

Well folks here I am, the morning of my last three finals. And in reality, they are pretty mild compared to the brain-cramping duo of yesterday. But I'm still pretty nervous about my voice final, and presentations are always kind of dreadful. But you know, I'm actually pretty excited about them- to get them over with, I mean.

It's going to feel so nice. I always forget that true sense of liberation you feel when your last class of the semester, or final (whatever), is dismissed. It's really GREAT. And I get to feel that today!

So this morning I'm trying to get my voice warmed up for my 11:00 final, and then I'll be off to the voice at 11:00, italian oral at 12:30, and then my presentation in my pop culture class at 2:00. Then it's time for some last minute shopping, home to pack, hopefully dinner with Lady Elizabeth, and then BED for a few hours until 4:00am when I get up and head home! CRAZY!

So here's a toast to today: to the last day of the semester *clink!

Wendy's.

I succumbed to the pressures of that little inner voice, the emotional eater that is ever prompting me to make bad food choices and get fat, and I had Wendy's for dinner.

It was good.

And don't worry Joshua P, I have you a very shiney wax cup waiting for you when I see you tomorrow....

Mush.

Yesterday around 5:07pm my brain officially turned to mush.

This means that when communicating I suddenly became incapable of full sentences, words larger than 5 letters, and even, gasp, of making lists.

Thankfully most things that needed to be accomplished had been.

Have you ever gotten to that point? When your brain LITERALLY will NOT accept any new information? Whether it's another thing to do, another time to talk to someone or meet someone or do something, or simply the need to proceed forward, my brain, at a point, becomes incapable. And that was me last night.

And this morning I got up an hour early, after not enough sleep, to start the brain a' going, to get 'er warmed up, and I realized that it was still in that state. I showered, got the blood flowing as I got dressed, got some food and water and caffeine going, and then I realized... still wasn't able to focus on anything- it was as if my eyes were looking opposite directions- my right was looking right, my left, left, which left me no ability to stare straight ahead. I tried to recite the facts I knew about Scotch on the way to school, tried to remember a thing or two about gin... nothing came. The cold biting my face off only served to further numb my skull's tenant. I tried to conjugate a verb in the subjunctive, I tried to remember what "a patto che" meant... nothing came. My mental screen saver was of me seeing a red-letter F on a blank white page with drool spots in the top left corner.

In the end the brain clicked on right when I needed it to. Turns out I had over studied, overwhelmed, over-everything'd my brain the last few weeks, and last night it decided to send me the "chill the freak out" message that I needed to hear, and only from my brain would I hear it.

Things went well today. The paper has gone through another revision. The meeting with the group for tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to this time tomorrow, when going home will be less than 12 hours away. Crazy.

It's time for a long sleep, I think. I hereby announce I'm sleeping in Friday morning!

One Down!

Oh yes, I do love that feeling.

My stressful final is now over. HOORAY! It went well, there were only about 2 questions that I was iffy on. I got an A on my wine list and my paper, and so that gives me a solid foundation- I think even if I get a B on the final, which I hope doesn't happen, I'll have an A in the class- which I'd hope since I really enjoyed it!

I'm pretty sure I was over prepared. There were lots of things floating around in my head, and thankfully it all cleared and I was able to, hopefully clearly, communicate my answers articulately. Besides the fact that I'm pretty edgy around finals time, I really do enjoy actually TAKING a test I'm well prepared for. Hopefully my next test (T minus 45 minutes...) will go as well!

Then after this next test I'm free of tests and have only a paper to revise, to prepare myself for my voice lesson, and then of course to to do my final group presentation- all of which seems mild compared to today. And of course I got no sleep so I'm running om adremaline and cafffeine!

More later!

Now I Know The Truth!

Here's a survey I took that was on someone else's blog, a good friendling, and so here are the results of... my life. Looks pretty decent, so I guess I'll keep on keepin' on!

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.8
Mind:	7.7
Body:	7.7
Spirit:	9.6
Friends/Family:	6.8
Love:	7.7
Finance:	7.2
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

I think it's all a bunch of BS, of course. But it's kind of funny. I like that it says that my family/friends is the lowest... yeah, no. But go and see what YOUR life looks like- hooray!

Magical Monday.

This morning Elizabeth and I went to French Roast for Breakfast- she looks beautiful and is totally ready to bare he oldest son- only a few more weeks! I'll admit, I'm REALLY excited to meet that little guy. I think he'll be pretty great- he's got Ian as a dad, elizabeth as a mom, he gets to be born in New York City, loved by me, and heck... he'll have the last name Cain! Every child I see makes me excited to see him.... it's gonna be GREAT!

I came home and got a bit of studying done... is that true? No. NO it is not. I did read a bit though, and that was good, and then gathered myself together and headed to work! There were 2 package deliveries during my 2 hour shift- each consisting of ONE package- so I logged a total of 2 packages in 2 hours. Consequently I studied for 2 hours straight. Which was GREAT. But now I'm kind of feeling that burnt out 'I really don't want to study anymore' thing and so I need a break. I at some lunch, looked at every person's blog and website I know, and now I'm back to updating my ol' thing and checking my e-mail obsessively. I'll get to work here in a minute- I've got laundry going and about an hour until I go down to practice for my voice final which should get me moving and mix things up a bit.

And there you have the 411 on CMC as of 3:07pm this twelfth day of December.

Steven Baldwin.

Steven Baldwin has now become my excuse for everything. Just try using him- see what happens! Here are some examples:

I saw Steven Baldwin the other day and then I stubbed my toe.

I saw Steven Baldwin and I lost my marbles.

I saw Steven Baldwin and then I shaved my head.

I saw Steven Baldwin and subsequently failed my finals.

I saw Steven Baldwin last week and then found out my milk was spoiled.

I saw Steven Baldwin and then realized I did the wrong assignment for class.

I saw Steven Baldwin and lost my job.

I saw Steven Baldwin, crashed my car, and then realized I didn't have insurance.

I saw Steven Baldwin and my flight was cancelled.

I saw Steven Baldwin and the yellow line took forever to come!

I saw Steven Baldwin and then had to dodge a bum peeing on the sidewalk!

I saw Steven Baldwin and the temperature dropped 6 degrees.

I saw Steven Baldwin on Friday and then got food poisoning.

.....see? It works so seemlessly! So purely! So dauntlessly!

Let it spread like wildfire!!!

Surprise!

I got so much done today, I'm really surprised by it! Not that that leaves me without things to do, but it puts me in a good place. A place to be prepared, and not go insane. Cheers to that!

Tonight at church we had a caroling/reading night, and then of course a message, but the music was pretty awesome! There was one lady, named Rozz, who got the whole audience singing back-up for her (aaamen, aaamen, aaaaamen, amen! amen! - tough lyrics!) and just WAILED>>>> she rocked- it was so fun! It was like we were at a Southern Baptist church, but there we were in a presbyterian service! That is something that I really enjoy about most churches in NY- they're pretty willing to mix things up. It was great, and that woman can flat SING!

It was a great night, and despite my dread of the impending finals, I think I'll actually survive. It's nice to have that attitude shift be now, and not later, because I think the sooner it happens the better.

Tomorrow should be GREAT!

I'm a Bree.

Who are you? Find Out.

Silent Night.

Last night's Christmas party was really fun.

I went to Veniero's to pick up about 60 dollars worth of Italian pastries. As I was walking down 3rd ave towards the Student center I realized that I, right then, was fulfilling one of my unconscious dreams.... not to sound like a fat girl or anything, but I was holding 3 boxes, over five pounds of Italian pastries.... ohhh boy.

Anyway, I finally got to Kimmel (the student center) and found room 808 where the partay was being held. We sang songs, talked about the significance of Jesus's birth, and did a gift exchange. I got a banana hanger- awesome! I ended up giving it away though- because I can never eat a whole bunch that I would hang, and figured someone else would use it more-- plus we're lacking on counter space here. It was really fun, and the Veniero's was gone before anyone knew it!

At the end we all went out to Washington Square Park in front of the Christmas tree, under the arch, and we lit candles and sand Silent Night. It sounds so cheesy, but it was really cool- I good New York at Christmas time memory.

Lovely evening to a lovely day.

Last NYC Saturday for a Month.

And a lovely one it has been!

Staci and I slept in (we stayed up watching her Bat Mitzvah tape- she was one HOT 13 year old!) and the headed to our farewell brunch at FOAF. There is me eating their fab cornbread with applespicebutter! MM! So good, we both ate too much and loved it!


After that we headed up town to brave the christmas crowds at 34th Street (crazy, I know) and checked out H&M for the last time for a month. We meandered back down 5th ave in the 20's, and then made it home. Staci headed off to do some more errands, and I went to Cosi to meet my Bible Study for our last round this semester.

It was good to meet again since we haven't for a few weeks, but it was also so clear that we're all in need of a break. Time to move on to a new semester, a new year, even- and time to have some time AWAY from homework!

Now I'm off to the Navigators Christmas party, after I pick up $65 worth of desserts at the famous Vineiro's! mmm!

Be back relatively soon... feeling like I should be studying.

[I love the 10 day forecast]

Proposal: Date.

This can be a group date, or a just me going by myself, or anything in between....

I really want to go down to SLC and get Banbury Cross Donuts for Breakfast one day. :)

Ok, I can rest in peace now that I have that out there. :)

My Heart Will Go On.

Yes, you caught me, I watched Titanic tonight.

And it was wonderful.

And there's nothing you can do about it!

Staci and I have been waiting for a while to do that- just sit for all 3 hours and 14 minutes of that beast and WATCH it. I transfered my music from my iPod to my new hardrive, then worked on a study guide... and all with the glories of Jack and Rose as a distraction. So beautiful.

It really is a great movie. I understand why people were so obsessed with it (as a 13 year old I saw it 3 times in theaters, and I really wasn't even that in to Leo...), and I also understand why people got sick of it. But in the end, I think it is really quite entertaining and diverting, one could say.

"come back. Come back! Come BACK!" Oh, the drama.

I'll never let go, James Cameron. Even if you do marry every female you work with.

"Table for One"

These three words are paralyzing for some, but in New York City they are nothing to be feared.

I went to Mayrose today to get some breakfast and coffee and read for a while, and when the hostess greeted me with "table for one?" I realized that it's not unusual to go anywhere here and do something "for one." Personally, I enjoy it a great deal; I almost always have one of those "wow, I really love New York" moments at my tables for one.

In Utah i think it's something that people dread. Going to dinner alone- GASP. Getting breakfast by yourself- GULP. Movies alone? Ahhh! But here in the city it's normal. There are crowds and groups and tables for two, but there are writers, artists, students, averages joes and jills who just want to take a moment to themselves. And it's not a sentence friends, it's a choice.

So to all you out there, there's no shame in sitting alone.

Clive's Creation.

I started reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe last night. I read about twenty more pages this morning, and I'm sure I'll read more tonight. I really like it! I remember the movie (go BBC!) from when I was younger- I loved the idea of Turkish Delight; it's funny how I still have the same feeling about the images that I read now as I did when I saw them as a younger child.

I still am a child though.

If you haven't read it, I'd recommend it. It is about 200 pages, and that is WITH illustrations- and there are probably 100 works per pages- NOT a tough read. And you can get your hands on it for cheapsies.

Here is the dedication ol' Clive Staples places at the beginning:

To Lucy Barfield

My Dear Lucy,
I write this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be
your affectionate Godfather,
C. S. Lewis

What is Our Role?

What is our role in stopping hunger?

I know that is such a big question. Tonight I went to a talk on hunger and South America. It was related to Christianity in that Christ, whatever you believe about him, did call his followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, minister to the sick, etc. And so as a Christian, technically speaking, I should be doing this.

But how? Does that mean that I literally walk out the door and go find the next Harry I meet and buy him groceries? Cause honestly, I've done that. And it may have gone well for one round. It seems like such a never ending problem even HERE, where we have resources. Then to expand that to South America, Asia, Africa... how can I make a difference?

I think first I need to be educated. I need to know what the issues are, I need to discern what is valuable for me to be invovled in, and avoid the tendency towards throwing money at something and hoping it'll do something good. I think donating and contributing is so valuable and important, but I think it is almost harmful to just toss a $50 at XYZ charity without knowing to whom and how they make thier "difference."

So what I want to know is... what do YOU think YOUR role is in all this? Is it just something that we can ignore? That one person starves to death every 4 seconds- is that something we can just "That's their problem" away? I don't know... I'm pretty sure I hear awful things like that all the time. And yet here I am, over eating, wasting my money on stuff I don't need, serving only myself with my reasources.

So how do we move forward?

Check out how these people are.

Chuck.

Check THIS Out, if you have the guts.





[could be slightly offensive, though most likely not. Just be aware]

Ode to You, Ol' Chap.

Rasbrees.

Rasbree tea. Rasbree sugar. Rasbree cookies. Rasbree Tarts.

Rasbree pudding. Rasbree jam. Rasbree preserves. Rasbree marmelade.
(A spoon full of Rasbrees help the medicine go down)

Rasbree cakes, Rasbree pies, Rasbree cobblers, Rasbree danishes, Rasbree shortbreads.

Rasbree milk, Rasbree lemonade, Rasbree wine, Rasbree beer, Absolut Rasbree.

Rasbree coffe, Rasbree syrup, Rasbree pancakes, Rasbree puree, Rasbree jello.

Rasbree lipstick, Rasbree blush, Rasbree colored hair, Rasbree flavored floride, Rasbree toothpaste, Rasbree colored LIFE.

Rasbrees.

Why You're My SoulMate.

8. Favorite Christmas song?
"Uhh. I don't want to admit this - "Under My Tree" by N'Sync."

Oh, how great you are!

If You Name Him Hank They'll Call Him Hanky Panky.

I realize that lately my bloggings have been less than interesting.

In the same token, my friends, so have your comments (or lack there of).

----

Today was my last day of classes, except for one italian class tomorrow which will also include my oral final exam, so I'm not really including that as a class. I'm SO glad to have it all done- now there is no more HOMEWORK, just final stuff to get done.

School can be so exhausting. And all the while trying to apply for internships for next semester, writing cover letters, checking the weather, writing papers, reading the Wine Spectator, studying italian, thinking about studying for my beverages final, ordering stuff online for other people, braving the cold, figuring out what to feed myself that might contain an ounce of protein. These are the ehaustions of my current life.

In reality many of these are completed and will remain so, and so now things are simply narrowed down to studying, homework, applying to internships, and writing my intellectual autobiography and plan for concentration (typical gallatin: a mouth full!) and attending "last meeting" of this, christmas party for that, and trying to squeeze in as many old semesterly traditions and fun "New York" christmassy things as possible.

It really is going well. I'll warn you that in the nearer future, probably in a moment of 'i-can't-do-any-more-homework-right-now-or-i
ll-shoot-someone,-probably-myself' I'll be posting a holiday survey. And I expect responses, people. Results, see? Or I'll boycott blogging altogether.

You decide.

(I'm not above threats)

Agree to Disagree.

Your fat girl is fantastic.

That is all.

Trouble with a capital B.

Blogger is being annoying, it is not updating my posts. This is a trial post.... we'll see!

The Grossest Chicken Fingers Ever. Ever.

On Saturday night I had the most disgusting chicken fingers ever.

Staci and I headed up to 95th street to go to the Ballet. We had no idea what was up there in the way of food, but we decided to take our chances. So we get up there, and it looks decent, and we end up deciding between a Thai place and a diner. The diner wins because we both like fried food and it was markedly cheaper too.

So we sit down, peruse the menu, I say I've gotta find something other than a burger cause I had had one the day before, and she says she'll get the chicken fingers. I second that motion, and then Staci, in perfect forshadowing style says something to the effect of, "Chicken fingers are a safety- they're always good. You can't really screw them up."

I'm here to tell you folks, yes. YES you can. Here's one thing you can do to screw them up: have them be low grade chicken that was frozen in strips that you then drop in a frier, then serve up on a pasty white plate with a piece of lettuce underneat and some half-heartedy honey mustard sauce, as if a garnish and a condiment are going to make up for your assinine approach to an un-screw-upable meal.

Photographic evidence:
It's amazing how one "chicken strip" could carry an overcooked stale taste while doubling with a raw on the inside, "is this really safe to eat?" sensation.








And this is how Staci felt about it:














And me?

























In order to salvage any hope of walking out of there mediocrely satisfied, we ordered a black and white shake (my absolute fave, you should know. Did you?) and this is how we felt after that:






So we did end up surviving that wretched meal, no thanks to the chicken fingers, and then we skipped across the street to the ballet. We realized that it was kind of a community theatery type performance with a bunch of really scary parental upper west side types, and in order to commemorate our first jump into New York youth community theater, we took these pictures:




And there you have. The Chronicles of Saturday Night.

You Do Not.

Let me tell you this, this thing I know to be true:

You do NOT want to consume or taste or consider eating uncooked cheesy garlic biscuit batter. Just trust me!

Park Pictorial.

Xaris in her festive Red, and Laura, in "the warmest fleece ever!"

Me and Josh walking through Central Park with Megan over my right Shoulder!

Peter in his cool cowboy hat which was going to be used for our money hat, but it turned out to be better with a regular ol ski hat.

Dan! Doing balloon animals, which he called a "quite lucrative" business, and he plans to go back this weekend if possible. Man, I would if I were him- people were slipping him 5's!

Mike looking REALLY creepy, holding the balloons that

Dan pre-made on the Subway ride uptown!

Us in our first location- a less successful one, but fun nonetheless! This is actually only the soprano section and Josh and Peter... I'll be getting better pictures from other people in the next few days, I hope!

Peter trying his china town keys in one of the (yeah, one of) audi's on the way to Susan's apartment where we counted our earnings!

This was such a fun day! We had a great time, didn't get TOO cold, and we made $95.08 which is going to a family of kids in Honduras! It should be great! I'll post more pictures as I get 'em!

What's Going On?

Well the laundry is done, folded, smelling good.

The wine list now has by the glass selections, and is ready to get all fancy'd up by some paper from Kate's and a cool font which I'll find after work.

And now the real question: What shall we do for New Year's? I know it seems early to think about, but before we know it it will be Christmas, and I think we should start discussing so that we can plan ahead- let everyone know etc so we can have a bunch of people, whatever we do.

What do you think?

I'm off to work. Look forward to hearing from you!

Mondays.

Well here we are folks, Monday December 5th, can you believe it?

I had a terrible night's sleep last night, but despite my bad dreams and lack of zz's I'm feeling quite chipper, thank you Norman Vincent Peale, eh?

The wine list- the only thing I had on my plate yesterday officially- is nearly finished. I have only to choose my wines by the glass, and then design it to print out, and it will be finito. That will be nice. Today is a day that needs to be productive, and I think it will be. The laundry is already in the dryer, so that's a good sign.

More soon, I'm sure. Happy Monday!

Ho Sono.

I'm real real exhausted!

Plain ol' exausted.

Nighty night!

Sweet Victory!

What you REALLY want for Christmas.

***

HELP!!!

[250th post!]


SO... I need y'alls helps!


I have to name a restaurant that I create (for the beverages class, of course) and I am creating a restaurant for 25th street. Think "mountain casual" with a mix between Bistro 258 and Rooster's, all american cuisine that aims at educating and delighting its customers with a great accessible wine list! I need a NAME! What do you think? It will be smallish, and on the moderatelyy priced scale- entrees from 10-25 bucks, appetizers 5-8, and so on.

Weigh in. Comment, E-mail. Tell me everything!

Great.

Well it has officially been a great day!

I hope that yours has been great too! I'm now off to the ballet up on 95th and Broadway- we'll see how that goes! Should be an adventure! I'm going to blog more about my adventures singing in Central Park later- it went really well! Let me know how you all are doing! And tell me if you have a favorite wine you insist on seeing on a wine menu at a restaurant (wine is taking over my brain- AHH!).

Ciao!

Observations From the ER.

“Social Work on two” Comes the voice from above.

The woman two chairs to my right is put together. She has perfect cherry wood colored hair that is held away from her face by a thick black crocheted headband and a perfectly neat flip at the end of each of her uniform strands. She has clear makeup, a smooth lipsticked mouth, and bright eyes that are accentuated by her hairstyle.

Her cream colored shirt, long corduroy ruffled shirt, and shiny black healed boots are capped off with a black Prada mini backpack that is only acceptable because of the brand. She delivered her father and now she’s sitting there, reading her new hardback copy of Ruth Stein’s new book Just One Word. Every few minutes she wipes a tear.

“Radiology on One.”

There’s a security guard waiting in the doorway of the room across the hall from where I’m sitting, and he can’t leave his post because of the mysterious patient in the darkened room- I didn’t notice him when I first walked in. In fact, I still haven’t noticed him, but I know he’s there, cause the guard is there; his bed is presumably just out of my view. Maybe he’s a danger- the patient I mean.

“Transfer ready, Doctor Stenlen to front.”

A man comes in seated in a wheel chair. His blank stare doesn’t register with me, I only see his rusted bandage in the center of his forehead that betrays the injury underneath it, and his hands are folded in his lap, but one of them is bloody. When his name is called the young Korean-American doctor directs him into the room over my left shoulder, and so all I can do is listen. “Can he talk?” The doctor inquires of the man’s caretakers. I don’t hear the reply. “Can he tell you if something is hurting?” Again, I miss the reply. “Can he follow directions?”

A deep Jamaican voice comes around the corner from the room, “Maury, can you ask the doctor her name? Ask the doctor her name Maury.” But Maury is silent. “I found him on the floor, he had hit his head on the wall.”

“The wall?”

“Yes, his bed is against the wall, and he hit his head like this,” I assume there was a gesture to accompany.

“Which side is paralyzed?” The doctor asks: and I learn that Maury had a stroke, rarely speaks, and is paralyzed on one side of his body- his left side. “Is he acting his normal self? Is this his normal behavior?”

“Yes, yes this is normal.”

The voices persuade, question, and hamper Maury; “I’m going to need to make a full exam on him because I can’t tell if anything is broken. I need to make sure that everything is ok inside and outside, so I’m going to get him a CAT scan. I’m going to send the nurses in here and they’ll undress him completely so that I can make sure nothing is broken.”

A few moments later Maury is wheeled out, his face a bereft emptiness, his right arm resting on its elbow with his hand straight in the air. The doctor leads the way and his two caretakers, two tall middle aged Jamaican men, follow behind, one pushing Maury, one surveying the crawling ER.

“Blood bank on three.”

The woman in the bed next to Staci’s explains how she has been in the ER three times in the last few weeks. She had her pacemaker put in a while back and was in for that. Then last week she experienced vertigo and had to come in. Then yesterday her arm started swelling and looked bruised so she came in at 5:00pm and has been there ever since. They told her that the person she needed to see would be back the next day at 8:00am and that she could come back then. “It took a lot of convincing, but I told them I live alone, I’m a widow, and I live far from here, so they let me stay overnight. But I’ve been here, I haven’t gotten a room.” She had been living in a curtained off area and I imagine had gotten quite comfortable with her cotton gown and robe and booties and cartons of milk. A few minutes later, after expounding on hemorrhoids, she was transferred to another room, and I just kept wondering where her family was.

“Visiting hours are over. Please proceed to the waiting room. A security officer will be circling the ER to ensure your exit.”

You Eat McDonald's?

Why is it that whenever I suggest McD's, one of my all time fave fast food places (if not THE) people are always taken aback? "You eat McDonald's?" Josh asked me today.

It can't be because I'm a particularly healthy eater- I mean take my eating history with Josh. He knows I'm usually after an excellent cheese burger, and has, on numberous occasions, supported my habit by searching this city for succulent beefy cheesed goodness along with me. So it can't be that. Maybe it's because he views me, as he calls it, as a "food snob"- not particularly high maintenance, but particular. Who knows.

Either way, all that is to say that I had some McD's for lunch today, and I enjoyed it. It was good, and I'll be walking it off for the rest of the weekend.

Take a Little Time Sometime.

To call this number: 888-ELF-ROMP

You will laugh.

See What I Wanna See.

Saw that show, See What I Wanna See, tonight. It was my birthday present from Elizabeth- and we went to dinner at this really cute, ADORABLE, place called Danal! It was yummy! So then we went and saw my FAVE Idina Menzel in her element- singing on stage! It was the first show I've ever seen at the public theater, and it was really cool!

It was supposed to have Mark Kudisch in it, who is one of my favorite male broadway actors, but he was out- but I have to say that the guy who replaced him was quite good. It was an odd show, but great to see some live theater with good acting again.

Staci made me take the cheeseriffic picture because she liked my outfit, which you don't get a real good picture of because my shirt was tan but it looks like I'm neked! But I swear there's another layer under the blazer! So yeah.

Anyway... the show was good. Rosario Dawson was there and she was psyched to see Idina, she was very excited when they came out for bows and you could tell the Idina was pretty psyched to see her too- cool that they are supporting eachother!

Well alright, that's my update fer now! :)

I Don't Know Why I Swallowed That Fly.

Or why I insist on NOT doing the things I SHOULD do when I CAN do them, and instead to the things I should NOT do when I SHOULD be doing something ELSE> Got this from Kimber too. :)

1. Spell your first name backwards - erialC

2. Story behind your name- My mom has a knack for names. Claire is the name of one of her "littler sisters" in nursing school who was, according to my mom, one of the most wonderful people she ever knew. Claire died tragically at a young age, and my mom named my Claire in a way to honor what a wonderful person she is. Can't wait to meet her.

3. How old are you - 21

4. where do you live - New York City about 9 months out of the year, but let's not talk about this year, it's been an odd one!

d e s c r i b e y o u r

5. Wallet - It's this hideous pink brick of a thing that I loath but have been trying to replace for about a year and can't find an appropriate replacement for that I like.

7. Toothbrush - Oh don't get me started. The Oral-B Advantage Plus 32 Soft... so amazing. Pair that with some Crest Scope refresh toothpaste and you have a party in your mouth better than your first french kiss.

8. Jewelry worn- regularly? One plain ol' white gold ring on my left ring finger. Ain't married neither. I like to keep it simple, y'all (actually I really like jewelry and wish I was cool enough to wear it all the time, or maybe just that I wasn't so absent minded and actually put it ON from time to time...).

9. Room color - white white white. Thank you NYU. But I do have a charming gray table runner accenting the space above my bed. I should go in to internior design.

10. Pillow cover - This fantastic dark blue pillow case that I love- I have really quite impeccable bedding choice, if I do say so myself. Ask anyone, they'll tell you straight up. You want to sleep in my bed, and I mean that in the least trashy way possible.

11. Favorite Jeans - I like my Lucky's, but they're fading. It's time to anti-up and get some new ones. I do like the new BR ones, but they aren't as much confortable as they are... cool? I dunno.

12. Computer - The ever impressive and always faithful though sometimes falty Apple iBook, 2003. I should name him!

13. Sunglasses - If I was a real woman I'd say Sunclouds. Alas, those have been beaten by time and pressure, and so now they are some $10 ho-bag Aldo sunglasses that I'm sure I'll never lose or break becaue they are cheap and ugly.

14. Favorite shirt - Oh, tough one. I really love my Charlotte t-shirts from ol' Urban Outfitters, but I'm also a fan of my H&M long sleeved shirts that are real soft and long. There's a vivid description for you.. hehe.

15. Cologne/Perfume - Yes. Good. I like cologne. And I like perfume, don't pour it on though, you know? I wear Happy by Clinique (i know, since like 7th grade, but what can I say, I like it, though it dates me back to before puberty), and then attraction by Lancome which I enjoy, but sounds cheesy to actually write. No I did NOT buy that in hopes of becoming more... attractive? It was a gift, I SWEAR! I feel it is time for a new kind though... any suggestions? I can't do real flowery, or real fruity, or real... anything. It goes straight through my eyes right to my drain like an electric drill... or to say it plainly, smells can give me headaches right quick if they're not ... good.

16. CD in stereo right now - No stereo or CD.

17. Piercings - 3, heh!

18. What are you wearing now? Oh, that sounds so sexy, but you're not fooling me! I'm wearing a long-sleeved tan t-shirt with a periwinkle sweater over it, then long black dress pants, some socks, and then the gold shoes that men hate. Damn, both of my interviewers were men! SNAP.

19. What do you wish you already have done - I liked Kimber's answer: finish grad school. But i'm going to say, because I dont' want to get too ahead of myself, found an apartment to live in next year (and owned it- hehe, yeah!)

20. Wanting - What does that even mean?

21. What will you be doing for the remainder of the day? Hopefully I'll do SOMETHING productive when I finish this, like read my Bible and then some homework, then meet E for dinner at Banal (I think?) at 6, then a show at 8, and then home for some schleep.

22. If you could get away with it and murder anyone, who would it be? Aw, come on, what a lame question. Here's a better one- if you could have, would you have murdered Hitler? Answer that one in the comments.

23. Person you wish you could see right now? I'll give you one guess. Actually know that I'll see that guy in 2 weeks (!) I'll say my big bro Ian, cause I actually do kind of like him, and he's in short supply these days!

24. Some of your favorite movies - hmm. Well Braveheart tops this list every time. Then I'm going to say Something's Gotta Give, then prolly Gladiator, Anchorman, Love Actually (I like it and you can't stop me!), and really most lame-o romantic comedies, Mystic River (fantastic movie), Lord of the Rings, and I'm sure some more but I'm totally blanking on them... so there's a smattering, a sampler, if you will.

25. Something you're looking forward to in the coming month? Being home, skiing, dancing (did you know we're going to dance? cause we are!), eating, sleeping, not sleeping, talking, not talking, seeing my fam, throwing aimless snowballs with my inept throwing arm, sledding, seeing the lights in Temple Square, having a christmas party, working at the OECC, NOT having homework (!!!), etc.

26. The last thing you ate - Soup!

27. Do you like candles? You know, i really do. I really do. I really do.

28. Do you like incense? Blech, no. It makes me ill, it's like... shot to the heart, and incense, you're to blame!

29. Do you like the taste of blood? Well no, not my own or another person's. But if you really want to get in to it I like steak, and the flavor there is not always just the meat... but I'm gonna say NO cause I hate the whole moo affect, I'm all about Medium or medium well. Sickos.

30. Do you believe in love? indeed I do.

31. Do you believe in soul mates? ehh... good question. I think that there can be soulmates in some capacity, but I think people get carried away with the idea.

32. Do you believe in love at first sight? No, not really. Maybe because I'm too critical, but really because I think that love has nothing to do with sight.

33. Do you believe in Heaven? You betcha.

34. Do you believe in God? Oh yes.

35. What do you want done with your body when you die? I'll admit I'm not particular, whatever's cheapest for those I leave behind.

36. If you could have any animal for a pet, what animal would you want? Crap, I dunno! that's a hard one! I'd probably have a tiger... like if I could and had the space and could really take care of it and could help it breed other tigers and help it not be endangered or something. Otherwise I think I'd have a ragdoll kitty catty, like Tony Montana- man, what a good guy. that was a dog in a cat's body, I assure you. Any cat that can out drink Gavin is my hero! hehe! Or a Golden Retriever, those guys sure are nice too!

37. What is the longest you've ever stayed up? 2 days straight... maybe three, but I think just two days.

38. Can you eat with chopsticks? Yes and I enjoy it quite a bit!

39. What's your favorite coin? A quarter? Or if we're going international I like the 2 Euro coin.

40. What are some of your favorite candies? Not huge on candy, but I like gummy things (no sick swedish fish though, those are like death... sorry Kim!), reese's pieces, gummy things...

41. What's something that you wish people would understand about you? that I am not as smart or as capable as you think I am.

42. What's something you wish you could understand better? I can't even narrow that down.

43. Who is someone that you really wish was still around? I'm gonna say Brady- cause that guy is just nowhere these days. I'll hunt him down though, don't you worry! mwahahah!

44. Where is your favorite place to shop? uhhh.... am I buying or just looking? Buying: H&M, Banana Republic, Express, Barnes and noble, Whole Foods :) If I'mjust looking.... Anthropologie, Tiffany's, and I'm gonna say Barney's now that E opened up my eyes to that fantastic place!

45. Have any tattoos or piercings? 3 piercings, 1 tattoo.

46. What is your favorite thing to wear? My Old Navy rock-your-world fleece gray bottoms and my Blue NYU sweatshirt, and tennis shoes or slippers. Or my NYU sweatpants, those are friendly too... but those fleece ones..mmm!

47. How much is the most you've ever spent on a single item of clothing? Let's not talk about it.

48. Who is the least fashionable person you know? Honestly? I'm pretty sure I'M the last fashionable person I know! heh!

49. Do you match your belt with your hair color? If my hair was black I would all the time!

50. How many pairs of shoes do you own? uhh....

51. What is the worst trend you see today? Still the boxers showing out of a guy's pants bugs me, and you still see it, but the pants are tight, not baggy now. OR the really really ridiculously short skirts with bare legs when it's freaking 35 degrees out. Are you slutty or just CRAZY?

s p e c I f I c

1. Do you do drugs? I've been known to take a few advil here and there...

2. What kind of shampoo you use? the blue kind.

3. What are you listening to right now? Sounds of the city... people talking, horns honking in the distance, etc etc...

4. Who was the last person that you called? My mom!

5. Where do you want to get married? I refuse to answer marriage questions.

6. How many buddies are online right now? I11?

7. What are essentials in your life? God, family, friends, food, sleep, stimulation, etc.

8. Do you send out holiday cards each year? usually, yes.

h a v e y o u e v e r

1. Given someone a bath - yes, babies, like Kimber said!

2. Bungee jumped - nope.

3. Made yourself throw up - I've considered it but I'm too big of a wuss.

4. Skinny dipped - not really.

5. Made yourself cry to get out of trouble - No, I'm not that psycho.

6. Cried when someone died - this is a stupid question. Yes I have, I cry all the freaking time, if I actually have a reason then of course I will.

7. Fallen for your best friend? - ....

8. Been rejected - heh! yes. The trauma of Junior high....

9. Rejected someone - heh! yes. the trauma of Junior high....

10. Used someone - I'm pretty sure no, but call it like you see it folks!

And there you have it. For whatever reason I just spend over half an hour answering that. What an idiot! But now you know me so much better, right?

I've Got a Fever, and the Only Prescription is...

More pancakes.

Well Not really.

But it was so random, yesterday on TWO desks in a classroom I had my popculture class in said THIS:


"I love you, but I've chosen Pancakes instead."

What conflict.

Fin.

Well I did it!

I am finished with the interviewing process. And no, no I don't have a job, but the interviews are over! The only thing left now is to get an e-mail saying whether or not they want me for the job, and I'll get that in about a week and a half. So that's really nice.

I think it went well- I'm happy with the way I responded, despite my sweaty palms and shortness of breath, and I think whether I get it or not the whole process has been a good experience.

And there you have that!

Church and the City.

Today I had the privilege of worshipping my God with friends and strangers in the Catholic Community Center Chapel at a Protestant worship meeting. It was pretty neat- worship was just a guitar and a piano and voices echoing to the top of the stone buidling that stands at 58 Washington Square South.

A man spoke, his name Jon Tyson, about how to live out Christianity here and now, and why waiting until we're 85 and ready to expire vertically is a waste of life. It was neato.

Tyson's church meets in a lounge on the upper west side. Go Here to view his website. Also we have the Journey, and then Redeemer, which are pretty neato churches up in this place too- if you want to get an idea for where I go and what I do for corporate worship 'round these parts. And if you're from NY and want to see what life is like back in the big UT, here is the link to my home church!

And there you have it!~

Poll: Song.

Another poll, just because I like to force you all to comment, mwahahah!

What is your favorite song- and if you can't answer that then tell me some of them, and to which moods they apply if you're that kind of listener.

Favorite love song?

Favorite song you think describes yourself?

Favorite song that describes the person you love? your friends? A family member?

Favorite song to jam out to?

And so one... you get the idea!

Prot.

Today is great so far.

I slept in too long, stayed in the shower too long, ate breakfast too late, got nothing done. And it's still great.

I am going to the Protestant worship service on campus in a few minutes- the first time I'll be able to go all semester because I don't have Italian today!

I am then meeting with Susan to chat it up, and then I have my interview at 3:00. I'm really looking forward to getting that one over with! :)

After that I'll come home, try and get some things done, and then head to dinner and a show with E! Wahoo!

How's your day?