so i haven't really been in college for over a year. i haven't taken a real final final in almost 2 years. the usual school habits have begun- traffic, sales on clothes we don't need, my best friend kelli calling me driving back and forth to school at night- all these these are the usual school routine. BUT i'm not in school. i work.
last fall: student teaching.
last spring: i taught college, so i was still IN school.
this fall: NO school. no kids in school, no students, no teachers, no papers, no book, dirty looks...?
it's just weird, that's all. not bad, just weird. :)

this is one of my favorite graduation pics. i know my eyes are closed and i'm really looking OUT of the picture, which you're not suposed to do, but i like it. i think bc i miss my bangs. i hate the way they are cut now LOL

my favorite quote of today.

richard: "you have to judge people."

he called me from china to check on my spiritual well-being.
erika gets 100 points (bc now all richard's points go to her automatically HAHA.)

did anyone else watch her speech???????
yes. yes! YES!! she is AMAZING!

No, i'm serious, all of us stopped working and watched it and were crying and choked up and had goosebumps.

Bite it Joe Biden.

You Are Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

R-really cool name
U-unbelievably talented
F-funky
U-undeniable sweetness
S-seriously sexy(double points)

W-way awesome
A-addicting
I-indubitably loveable
N-needed in every itunes library
W-wicked guitar skills man
R-ridiculously underrated
I-instant favorite
G-grrreat!
H-holy moley
T-tastefully tempting

"i'm just a little bit heiress, a little bit irish
a little bit tower of pisa
whenever i see you
so please be kind if i'm a mess"

ode to thee, my love caffieine-
thy bitterness divine
i oft have spent a morning dreary
spent as it were death of mind
cold, crisp refresh, i drink, i sip
life's joys fulfilled at last
just one sweet moment, tongue-tingling touch
energy! my blood caressed.
oh diet coke, dr. pepper, coke zero
nectar of the gods.
my love for you, like narcissus proved,
will be my death at end.

(snap snap, snap snap)

Jon's twin nieces turned 6 yesterday. Watching these two little girls run around screaming with all their little friends and Barbies and bows and dancing and eating and etc etc.... all I could see was instead of Heidi(his sister & their mother) was my sister Melissa trying to keep her two little people in control 5 years in the future :) It will be a good time, I assure you :)

I LOVE MY NEW CAMARA: Check out a few pics. I'm getting better the more I practice. I find I have to take 5-10 pics to get one that's REALLY good. Thats why it's digital ;)

Frankie

Zoe

Opening presentslittle neighbor Jack. he is a DOLL and i love this pic. my favorite from the day.

Uncle Jon

many a year ago, i sat in a crowded movie theatre next to my friend dixon. we went to see miracle opening night. ya know, the one about hockey. we laughed, we cried, i hyperventilated along with the coach before the BIG GAME. i know there were other people there of our friends and they liked it too, but it was only me and di who cheered, clapped and screamed when the announcer said those infamous words. i seem to recall dixon almost stood out of his chair.

if you read my below post, you know i needed a little something today.

well...

these two guys showed up at my work today. a day and a half early. as a surprise. i cried.

i believe in miracles.

this is general maxwell.

i finally cried today. i knew it would come, i just didn't know when or how.
long long day at work for some reason... then i spent the evening chatting up with my dad for a while, took myself to jiffy lube & quiznos, then went to kevin & kellie's to keep kel company while kevin's @ my aunt & uncle house painting. lets just say i freaking LOVE my newest sisterinlaw. we can share clothes and i feel like we're close in age even though really in reality she's more like nate lauren todd & shell's ages. she lives in cali, and i live in cali so thats something we can share, too! so i spend the evening with her and then drive home.
i call jon to keep me awake bc it was a long day and he's talking about max (his new puppy) and when they are coming down friday and i just start to cry. like for NO REASON. just the thought of seeing a familiar face and have a nice boy hug and have a friend!! friday is getting so close!
i'm glad i moved with merz, and father eaton and mother meri and supreme and i love kellie & kev, and my office is nice, but MAN!! i need to get some friends. i guess the week and a half mark is where reality, loneliness and boredom have really set in.
i promise i'm glad i'm here. but i miss everyone else, too.
a plug for sisters. i LOVE my sisterinlaws. ALL of them. honestly i think my brother's did WAY better than they deserve. but i'll throw in a plug for my sister sister. hi sisterface. i love and miss you like mad. really.
happy tears. sad tears. all of them make your eyes puffy.

this is banana bread.
......

no, i'm serious it is.
so its like gel and we think we forgot flour and its kinda gooey?
whatev.

cold turkey is the term she used. cold. turkey.
i prefer warm goose. or wet duck. perhaps broiled chicken?
nope.
me and meredith are officially OFF SWEETS. sugar. cookies. cake. ice cream. pie. torte. chocolate. mints. soda. basically EVERYTHING good she's not letting me eat anymore.
however. i DID eat grapes for my must-have-mid-afternoon-sugar-fixation and i felt good and energized after it instead of tired like after a ghiradelli chocolate square(of which my office has in abundance).
fine. i give myself 3 days. 4 if we're REALLY lucky.

okay, so lately i've had all these crazy dreams. i think it's bc i have been so tired with all the traveling and moving and starting new jobs etc, that when my little head hits the pillow it is OUT. its like my brain is trying to get rid of every thought it doesn't need to hold on to anymore. we call these types of dreams "brain throwup." everything from nj people in utah, to las vegas people in cali, to pregnancy, vampires, sleeping through my new job, telling my friend i hate her boyfriend and she should dump him- you name it, i've dreampt it this week!! ask me if on thursday i was SO SO SO tired that i crashed at 10 and had a dream ABOUT SLEEPING. ask me.

its been officially a week. people i miss today:
jon and the kid.

funny faces evey.
maren smiley face.

rachel(who is walking!!) and grandpa bc everyone got to see him this weekend but me.

crazy kids.

oh. and other people too. :)

it is comforting to know, though, that i feel good about being here- i was telling my sisinlaw kellie, i feel like there was hardly a transition bc i felt so ready for a change and to be here. but i still miss the kids and my friends and family.
it's a good thing there's still crickets chirping outside :)

video is boring, song is fantastic. strawberry swing by coldplay

last night i went grocery shopping. items in cart: 100 calorie packs of snacks for my desk @ work, bananas, nectarines, grapes, carrots, sugarfree applesauce, 9 grain whole grain bread, raisin bran, fat free milk, etc, etc... healthy low fat sugarfree yadda yadda...AND one package of hostess ding dongs. :) i love being me.

i know i'm here, it just doesn't seem real yet.

on my way home from work i wanted to buy a balloon (see below post). i don't know irvine very well, as i've only been here less than 24 hours, and i knew there was a store near merzy's home sweet home. i just drove there and thought there's gotta be some kind of balloonage.i pull up and say...oh seriously???????????
pride goeth before the fall.

i think to myself, lindsey, its got asian writing but there's gotta be something frozen for dinner and all asians throw a good party so there's gotta be something floaty to take a picture with for my mother's satisfaction.
oh, there were floaty things. just not balloons.
i confess i walked in and say in my head
OMG.
everything is in asian. it ain't chinese or japanese, its probably korean or vietnamese.
practically NOTHING in english. OH. and did i mention there were ZERO white people?
so what did i do??
i put on my happy face, walked nonchalantly through the isles, pretending to be interested, walked out the door and beelined to my car laughing histerically.welcome to california.