time for some sleepies for me!! i have mother's day brunch all planned out, flowers picked up, presents wrapped, card signed, and my game face on. yes, i scored two tickets for tomorrow's sharks game, so i'm takin the moms with me!! i'm so glad she likes hockey!!

and now, your moment of zen.

Dance the night away by karchan85
Name
What you Look like
The Music	J-Rock
Quiz created with MemeGen!

Behind all of your tears
There's a smile
There's a smile
Behind all of the rain
There's a sunshine
For miles and miles

Oh- Everything
Everything
You mean everything
You mean everything
Everything to me
Everything to me

The colors of your garden
They're yellow, blue and green
And the sound of your sweet voice
It's better than all my dreams

Oh- Everything
Everything
You mean everything
You mean everything
Everything to me
Everything to me

Your my first thought in the morning
When I rise
Oh- when I rise
You're my last thought in the evening
When I rest my head at night

Oh- Everything
Everything
You mean everything
You mean everything
Everything to me
Everything to me

Oh- Everything
Everything
You mean everything
You mean everything
Everything to me
Everything to me
Everything to me
Everything to me (everything, ben harper)

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?

You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of God that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others."
- Marianne Williamson in Return to Love: Reflections on a Course in Miracles

and on a happy note, there is a wave of cool light shining brightly through my window right now. i love the full moon and that it's warm inside, but i can feel the gentle breeze flow through my window. all of that gives me butterflies in my belly. sigh. 'night!! :)

i strongly dislike the cbc announcers for the following reasons:

*not knowing how to pronounce last names of sharks players.

*getting sharks players confused.

*saying bullshit things like, "wow, roloson had total confidence in that last play" although he never touched the puck since he couldn't find it.

*replaying edmonton shots over and over and giving the sharks no credit when they shoot an amazing shot.

*talking shit about san jose's ice just because it's in california. san jose has good ice. there are no bad bounces and it's not soft.

*they're big pussies on the air. anytime a penalty is not called, they don't review it, or even talk about it. for either team.

randy and drew, i will pay you and cook for you if you come over for the next game so i can hear your sweet voices and more of an un-biased opinion.

edmonton fans at the game...sucks to be you. the coolest song they've played at your arena is cotton-eyed joe?? a laugh and a freakin half.

all right...back to the game. GOOOO SHARKS!!

hey kiddies, are you loving this weather?? it's so beautiful and sunny and warm. it's really hard to sit here in the office when all i want to do is go for a walk and take a nap under a tree. :)

i had a super fun time at the a's game on saturday. sometimes, i tend to feel a little sad when not everyone i invite for my usual birthday bash can come out. but seriously, 30 people to talk to during an a's game?? i can't do it!! even though there were only a few, i had so much fun cheering the a's on. and really, everyone who can't come pretty much promised to take me out to dinner at some point. awww yeah!! back to the game...i was pumped that an error on tampa bay in the ninth gave them a win. let's go oakland!!

the sharks game on monday was incredible!! i'm still so happy that i was lucky enough to get a ticket for the game. :) i think the loudest i've ever heard the tank was during this play. you can almost see teesta and i!! we were waving our teal pom poms like crazy and screaming!! i also had fun with the cheechoo train whistle. sometimes when he was open, i'd blow it, so joe would know he could pass it to him. he didn't always listen to me, though. hee hee!! it's okay because the sharks got a win, and that's all that matters.

tonight is game 3, and i'm hoping they can play their hearts out!! sweep for sj, horray!! :) i'm really hoping the sharks can win tonight and friday's game so they can be well rested for the next series. the much needed rest seems to have helped out for these games so far!!

besides lovin the bay area sports, not too much else is new with me. i freakin finally read the da vinci code. it's frustrating to some extent because the author takes a lot of things for granted, and likes to twist certain aspects of history and christianity. also, three times in his book, he talks about how an apple is what eve ate in the garden of eden. IT'S A FRUIT, you dummy. do your research. he's all excited about misconceptions by the church, and here we go with another assumption. anyway, that aside, i'm happy i read it in time for the movie release. i for some reason have been excited to see that for some time. but i'm not sure i pictured tom hanks as langdon. oh well.

my daddy's birthday was last night and he bought himself a cool leather massage chair. i got to hop in it last night but couldn't stand it for too long. it totally tickles me when it massages my back!! eeeeek!! hee hee!! i'm good with a regular recliner any day.

well, that's all in my silly world. peace!!

I don’t wanna wait in vain for your love,
’cause if summer is here,
I’m still waiting there (waiting in vain, bob marley)

well happy freakin birthday to me!! i had such a fun day yesterday. possibly the best birthday evah?? oooooh yeah!!

it wasn't as relaxed as last year since i did have to go into work, but i had a great time nonetheless. my morning started with some great news regarding hockey. erik ended up getting two tickets for the second sharks game for the next round of the playoffs!! since he's super nice, he let me have one of the tickets!! i was really happy and trying not to cry happy tears and bounce at work. :) i had tried to get some, but they were seriously gone in .5 seconds. also, he told me that cheech would be throwing the first pitch at the a's game. horray!!

work was pretty good, although i spent way the eff too long on these reports. poor hilary was being very patient and reviewing everything to see where this mistake was, and for the life of us, could not figure it out. (btw, we got it all solved this morning...and i felt like a retard for not knowing a piece to the puzzle that would have saved both of us tons of time.) matt took us out to lunch and i was super happy that it was chevy's. that was my place to go back in jr high and high school for birthday dinners. i totally forgot until i saw the waiters running around with desserts for other birthday peeps and giant sombreroes.

after work, i was just rockin out to my iPod on BART and having to hold myself back when we stopped at the coliseum station. i totally wanted to hop out and buy a ticket so i could scream for cheechoo as he threw out the first pitch. but, i would be missing my special birthday dinner, and i was wearing a shirt, skirt, and flip flops. i would have frozen for sure!!

i got home and someone my mom helps tutor after school was there with some presents for me. i felt so bad because i know she must have saved up money for a while to get them for me!! eeeeeekkk!! after that, pizza was delivered and i was such a happy camper. my own little cheese pizza!! no picking off meat or other things i don't want to eat!! hahahahahah!! i had about a million calls with happy birthday songs, well wishes, cards, text messages, emails...holy cow. i fit a root-beer float in and then opened up a trillion presents.

i feel totally spoiled that i turned 26 and my parents still bought me so much!! i got some cute clothes, money (there's a first from my 'rents!!), a super fun purse, iPod/cell case, sharks playoff ticket, of course the usual williams/sonoma fun cookbook, w&s gift card...it was never ending!! erik got me a super cute shirt which reminds me of the cuppiecakes that i make; FUNFETTI!! ahhhhh, i love it!! it was then about 9, and i was dying to go to bed. teesta came over with flowers for me (omg, i love flowers on my birthday!!) and a beautiful scarf/shawl and totally fun bracelets.

i don't know how i forgot to mention this earlier, but: then, my mommy came out with a super cute rainbow ice cream cake!! AND...she put a little sharks zamboni on it that she found upstairs!! what's hilarious is that i almost brought the zamboni to work with me that day!! i picked it up, then got distracted and put it down. it has been sitting upstairs for the past 4 years, doing nothing, and it got a lot of action on my birthday!! horray for ice cream cake!!

i was the most happy knowing that i had a sharks ticket for monday, though. that totally got me through my day and made me skip on the way to the bus. i must have looked like the craziest little girl, but i know i was the happiest little girl. :)

and for your moment of zen...something that i missed out on last night. they showed it in the middle of the 4th inning on tv, and i was watching alias at the time. props to kae for finding it online for me.

and i thought i was the happiest person alive!!

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt

i really love that quote and should take it to heart more often. it's so true, and once you realize it, you can change your perspective about whatever situation you're dealing with. hopefully, for the better. :)

i had such a great dinner last night. i went out to the city with teesta, kae, erik, and some of teesta's friends. we went to chapeau!, which was a really nice french bistro. we started with lots of wine and erik and i shared the prime rib. it was beyond fantastic!! they brought out a huge slab of meat, and cut it in front of everyone. hee hee!! it came with 4 sauces that were very yummy, and mashed potatoes and green beans. seriously, i'm always about mashed potatoes and green beans...which was the reason why i ordered it!! i was a very full and happy netties after such a wonderful meal. when my pants refuse to fit me this week, i'll know why...

after that, we went to some club. i did a lot of walking in sf without shoes. maybe not the greatest idea, but i had no idea we were walking across half the city or i might not have worn my silver heels. anyway, that was fun for a bit, but it was so hot inside, like the heater was turned on. there was some good music, but i was definately full of food and ready to hit the hay. i think this sort of verifies that i'm not a city girl. well, not full time at least!! i know i can go out and have a good time, but just not several times a week. i'm much more content with a bowl of popcorn and a dvd. :)

i am really pumped for the sunshine that has finally decided to make an appearance!! thank you!! hopefully the weather keeps up so next saturday when we go to the a's game for my birthday, we have a fantastic time!!

i scream, you scream, we all scream for free cone day!!

this was one of my favorite days in davis!! i never minded standing in line for free ice cream. it was always a treat to grab right before college life. if you're smart, you'd request a waffle cone (only costing you a dollar) and they'll put more free ice cream in it.

oh my goodness...what are you waiting for?? go grab some yumminess!! :)

One last kiss one only
Then I'll let you go
Hard for you I've fallen
But you can't break my fall
I'm broken don't break me
When I hit the ground

Some devil some angel
Has got me to the bones
You said always and forever
Now I believe you you baby
You said always and forever
Is such a long and lonely time

Too drunk and still drinking
It's just the way I feel
It's alright
Is what you told me
Cause what we had was so beautiful
Feel heavy like floating
At the bottom of the sea

You said always and forever
Now I believe you baby
You said always and forever
Is such a long and lonely time

Some devil is stuck inside of me
Why can't I set it free
I wish, I wish I was dead and you were grieving
Just so that you could know
Some angel is stuck inside of me
But I cannot set you free

You said always and forever
Now I believe you baby
You said always and forever
Such a long and lonely time

Stuck inside of me (some devil, dave matthews)

you would think a weekend that included a bit of sunshine, manis and pedis, and lunch with the girls would be such a refreshing and relaxing change for me. it wasn't though, it was you. and i thank you for that.

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang (everlong lyrics, foo fighters)

howdy kids!! so are you loving the sunshine or what?? part of me misses the rain. as you can tell from a few posts ago...hee hee!! the sun does feel wonderful and is going to be great for the flowers i planted a few months ago. time to bloom!! not a whole lot is new with me. i'm just working and totally enjoying it. i love the people i work with, what i do, and the fact that i can wear whatever i want. can i get an amen?? :)

i was looking through frozenreality.co.uk and found this cute comic. :)


and last, but certainly not least hockey news!! jonathan cheechoo has been awared the maurice "rocket" richard trophy as top goal scorer in the nhl!! holy cow!! i find it midly amusing that i post about my favorite teams and players now and again. i feel like lately, cheech has taken over my blog. :) but i am so happy for him, and i'm super stoked that he won it. i have been watching him for a few years, and it's great to see how he's grown and learned so much in a short amount of time considering there was no season last year.

in related news, joe thornton won the art ross trophy as scoring champion. i bet i would have won that in high school for water polo since i either scored or had an assist on every goal we had. too bad nobody took stats on assists for the girls team. BOOOOOO!! hahahhaahhaha, i'm not bitter or anything. :) oh, and kiprusoff (former shark!!) got the william jennings trophy as best goaltender (fewest goals against). i kept telling everyone that sj does not want to play calgary in the playoffs!! kipp is a monster!! anyway, as you can tell, i'm an excited gal because hockey playoffs are here. WOOHOO!! now it's just time to score some tickets...

although the sharks didn't have a victory for their last regular season home game, i had a fun time!! as i was walking through the front doors with erik, we noticed a lot of guys in nice suits standing to the workers who were handing out hats for fan appreciation day. erik turned to me and said, "is that jamison??" i stood on my tippy-toes, and was so surprised to see the president and ceo of the sharkies standing there!! once we got in, i walked right towards him and he shook my hand with both of his hands. i told him that i was very impressed with what he's done with the sharks organization, and that i hope the sharks do well in the playoffs!! i think he was impressed, because not too many people around us knew who he was. hee hee. and, i had my cute sharkie-head on, so i was like sharks super fan. hahahahahahhah!!

also, i talked with erik about luc robitaille and the sharks organization possibly mentioning that it was his last game. i'm sooooo happy that they took time before the game to honor him. i'm very proud of the sharks fans who gave him a standing o, followed by "luuuuuuuuuuc" chants. :) he's an amazing player, and even though he plays for a rival team, he's not a punk, so he's respected. after the game, i was almost brought to tears when the sharks players lined up and each took a moment to shake his hand. what a classy way to end an outstanding career.

i'm a little sad the sharkies lost...especially because they didn't score any points!! there's always a lot of energy in the building for fan appreciation day, but alas, there was no gary glitter to sing along to. i was also a little disappointed that i didn't get a cheech autograph last night. he was maybe the last guy to come out of the players parking lot, and i was pretty tired at that point. i was tired from work, it being a monday, and knowing i had to wake up early the next day for more work. he finally drove out, and all these little teenagers were screaming at him. and i'm not talking about regular screaming, i'm talking about haunted house, somebody's going to kill you type of scream. the high pitched crap that makes you want to rip someone's hair out. i'm pretty sure those dorks scared him off. and, it looked like his family was with him so i'm sure he just wanted to get home and hang out. drats. maybe another day!!

well, now it's playoff time, and i'm hoping the sharks get some rest and get pumped for nashville and whoever's after that!! go sharkies!!

3 is my lucky number (like you couldn't tell from my netters hockey jersey). i always thought that hat tricks were like my special little celebration. i was wrong. cheechoo likes em more than i do.

i want the count to help us with yesterday's win!!



one goal!! aaahahahahahaha!!


two goals!! aaahhahahahahaha!!


three goals!! hat trick celebration time!! aaahahahahahaha!!


maybe 3 is his lucky number. :)

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right
Little darlin' it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darlin' it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right
Little darlin' the smiles returning to their faces
Little darlin' it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Little darlin' I feel the ice is slowly meltin'
Little darlin' it seems like years since it's been clear
Here come the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right
Here come the sun, here comes the sun
It's all right, it's all right (here comes the sun, the beatles)

as most of you know, i loooove the rain!! the last few months in the bay area has had some record rain, and people are seriously freaked out about it!! i remembered like the first day i was home, it was pouring in sf, just pouring, and people were like, "omg, what do i do??" i sort of giggled and explained that i had been living in vancouver, and that i must have brought the rain with me. i sort of stopped saying it after a few days because people were getting pretty annoyed with the nonstop wetness.

all anyone ever talks about now is the rain. i get on bart, and someone turns and talks to me about how their shoes are ruined from the rain. didja think to check the weather report?? it's only been nonstop raining for the last few months, foolio. i get on a bus, and again, strangers talk to me about how they're going to build a ark like noah. there's even commercials on the radio for OSH about the rain. they're offering a sale for certain items on every day that it rains. good luck with that, OSH.

well, for all your complainers in the bay area, i want to finally quiet you. i was in vancouver for all of january and february. then, i was in the bay area in march. i want you to see how much rain i've had to deal with. and, i know the graphic says seattle, but seattle rain is also vancouver rain, so get over it. :)

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I am a dreamer and when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.
I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

And I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bare my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow. (goodbye my lover, james blunt)

i am soooo in love with james blunt. i could repeat this song all day.

there was the most beautiful rainbow out during the sunrise this morning!! it was great because it was raining in the distance, and the sky was purple, pink, and orange. it looked like one giant yummy bowl of rainbow sherbet!! then in the distance, there was a rainbow that looked wider than usual. it was really stretched and made me smile and not pay attention to the road as i was driving. ekkkks!!

in other news, the sharkies clinched a playoff spot!! now it's a waiting game to see who they play. i'm going to at least one more sharks game this year. we'll see if i'm lucky enough to get playoff tickets. monday's game should be fun times since it's fan appreciation day. add another "BEAT LA" towel to my collection.

and i just read an article talking about how we, as americans, need to "brace ourselves" at the thought of paying $3.00 for gas this summer. looking outside of my office, there's a chevron across the street, and it's $3.00 already. crap. i didn't brace myself for that. am i going to mutate or something??

who is the happiest shark ever?? oh yeah, this guy...



i love how his celebrations are so much fun, yet not "ha-ha, in your face!!" it's great how fans can become more excited about goals just by watching him go nuts. horray for the sharks!!

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause Ill never be with you.

Yes, she caught my eye,
As I walked on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Flying high,
And I don't think that I'll see her again,
But we shared a moment that will last till the end.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful it's true
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause Ill never be with you.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel, with a smile on her face,
When she thought that I should be with you.

But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you. (you're beautiful, james blunt)

do you ever hear songs like this and wonder who the lucky girl is?? i do, and i think it's so amazing that things like this happen and the other person has no idea. how awesome it would be to be someone's muse.

i am so sick right now. i didn't even want to paint my toenails today which is like one thing that makes me so very happy. my head feels like it's on fire since i have a fever, and the rest of me is freezing. my skin hurts so much, i don't like laying down. i must be the sickest girl ever.

the only cool thing right now is that i can hear the rain outside which sounds delightful. i'll just focus on that and try to fall asleep...

Gravedigger
when you dig my grave
could you make it shallow
so that I can feel the rain (gravedigger, dave matthews)

i am so happy that the rain follwed me from vancouver. it's been lots of fun to have so many days of rain in march!! here's a lame graphic from sfgate.com letting you know how much the bay has had.

i'm so happy i have a job where i can wear pretty much whatever i want. like today, since the sharkies are playing and i'll miss most of the game, i wore my jersey. as i was walking towards the fremont bart station, there was a guy holding the door open for people walking in, and i was pretty far away at this point. but he kept it open and was smiling and happy when i walked by and as i thanked him, he said, "oh, anything for a sharks fan!! you have yourself a wonderful day!!" eff yeah.

on a sadder note, i feel the need to post this article. i gave up soda for lent and decided that whenever i thought about it, i'd pray for children. children all over the world, caught up in war, disease, everything. i don't think it's a prayer i can give up even when i do start drinking soda again, but i'd love for you to join me in prayer for these children.

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. (psalm 1:1-3 niv)

*riiiiibbbiiittt*

so there is a really loud frog or toad outside my window right now. i heard him a few nights ago and i was really tired, and thought i was hallucinating or something. hee hee!! i imagine that it's a guy and he's trying to find a girl froggie. i have never heard frogs outside my window before...so he might be out there for a while. or maybe i'll go find him and give him a kiss. hee hee!! :)

as everyone knows, i looooove love love hockey. and if you love hockey too, i'm sure you have already heard about how freakin amazing alexander ovechkin is. if you haven't, i want you to watch this and try not to freak out. i'm serious. take a few minutes and be totally fascinated.

i love how he's 19 and not only does he score spectacular goals, but isn't afraid to dish out some hard hits. i wish he was a shark but i'm sure sj would have to trade like 5 dudes for him. as the music in the video sings, "dream on...." :)

i found this quote online earlier today. it seems so sad but true at some levels, too.

i want to be remembered as the girl who smiles even when her heart was broken. and the one that could always brighten up your day even if she couldn't brighten her own.

erin go bragh!!

hi friends!! i had such a great time at the sharks game last night. d. smith's wife had some great tickets and i felt so spoiled sitting so low to the ice!! we were just a few rows back, sort of behind the visitor's bench. it was amazing because the angles and speed seemed a lot different than sitting up higher. i had such a great time also because there was a ton of scoring. horray!!

i love finding pictures of jonathan cheechoo celebrating his insane goals. (i think i've been posting them for the last two years or so!!) i don't know how he can get the puck in the net so often, but he does. and, he always is happy after he scores, never taking anything for granted. i love it!!



also, happy st. patrick's day!!



here are some of my favorite irish quotes from my quote book.

*may the grass grow long on the road to hell for want of use. (irish saying)

*dance as if no one were watching, love as though you have never been loved before, sing as if no one could hear you, and live as though heaven were on earth. (irish proverb)

*may your glass be full, may the roof over your head be always stong. and may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. (irish drinking toast)

*may those who love us, love us. and those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts. and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles, so we'll know them by their limping. (irish curse)

*may the road rise to meet you.
may the wind be always at your back.
may the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. (old irish benediction)

try to remember why you wear green and drink green beer today. it's because st. patrick brought christianity to ireland. i'll drink to that!! :)

beware the ides of march!! that's all i have to say about today. :)

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If I go
Before I'm old
Oh, brother of mine
Please don't forget me if I go

Bartender, please
Fill my glass for me
With the wine you gave Jesus that set him free
After three days in the ground

Oh, and if I die
Before my time
Oh, sweet sister of mine
Please don't regret me if I die

Bartender, please
Fill my glass for me
With the wine you gave Jesus that set him free
After three days in the ground

Bartender, please
Fill my glass for me
With the wine you gave Jesus that set him free
After three days in the ground

I'm on bended knees, I pray
Bartender, please

When I was young, I didn't think about it
Now I can't get it out of my mind

I'm on bended knees
Father, please

Oh, and if all this gold
Should steal my soul away
Oh, dear mother of mine
Please redirect me if this gold...

Bartender, you see
The wine that's drinking me
Came from the vine that strung Judas from the Devil's tree
His roots deep, deep in the ground

Bartender, you see
The wine that's drinking me
Came from the vine that strung Judas from the Devil's tree
Its roots deep, deep in the ground
Ground...

I'm on bended knees
Oh, Bartender, please

I'm on bended knees
Father, please

When I was young, I didn't think about it
Now I just want to run and hide

I'm on bended knees
Oh, Bartender, please
Bartender, please...

part of me is so happy to be back in the bay area since all of my friends and family are here. i love getting to hang out with everyone since i've been back!!

thursday night i went to sf to meet up with merin, kelly, and lauren for dinner and drinks. i love that we can always get together and totally be ourselves. i love those girls to death and i appreciate that they not only listen to me, but that they have the best advice. also, i love that i can stuff my face with sushi and drink girly drinks and they still think the same of me. :) it was a great night topped off by a late night sprint to bart so we'd make the last train home. woohoo!!

friday i went to berkeley to the alumni house to help gary out with interviews and check out the new line for the lair with david. it was great experience to be on the other side of an interview and really see the dos and don'ts upclose. of course it was a true lair hangout during lunch since we rallyed at raleigh's. i spent most of the afternoon checking out the new items for the lair and i hope had some good feedback for david.

friday night was a little reunion at kip's and i think a time to let other cal kids know about the lair and that they should apply. i heard a lot of fools were going, and i was a bit sad because i remembered that my mom's irvington sports fundraiser was that same night. boohoo!! but i had a good time hanging with my mom and my dad at the hilton. i think we had a great time raising some moola.

that night, i set my alarm for 6:45 for saturday (yeah, yeah, i smoke hella crack!!) because i knew it was going to be cold enough to snow!! i did wake up and peek through my blinds and i had a hard time adjusting my eyes because it looked like snow on all the hills. i passed it off as a giant cloud and went back to sleep. when i went to the gym around 10, i was surprised to see that my eyes had not deceived me, and that there was snow EVERYWHERE!! i've never seen anything like that in the bay area before!! it sort of reminded me of vancouver for a moment. :)

today was random with a sharks game at 1. it was pretty intense with a lot of fights, to say the least. i can't believe some of the effed up calls by the refs after one of the fights. stupid vokoun was pissed for some unknown reason when parker was really upset and tried to climb the glass after being skated off the ice by an official. everyone's talking trash and pissing him off and he's the enforcer for sj, wtf do you think he's going to do?? vokoun is the goon...totally charging cheechoo and taking him out. anyone else would have gotten a penalty for that crap. boohoo you big baby!! heheheheh!! i was just excited the sharks could get a point because it's an uphill battle to get them in the playoffs.

but like i said before, i am so happy to be home, sort of unpacking and organizing my stuff, and i can't wait to get back to work. can you believe i actually said that?? i'm getting excited about finding a new job and getting paid. money will be good for things like gas and food and rent and car insurance...etc!!

so i missed the last cal bball game since i was partying it up at alyssa's bachelorette party, but there's a great recap of the insanity here. all i have to say is, "GO BEARS!!" :)

I am the Netties. But if I wasn't...

If I were a month, I would be: May. It's when the prettiest flowers bloom and the weather starts to warm up.
If I were a time of day, I would be: 11:00 AM
If I were a planet, I would be: Saturn. It has the coolest rings.
If I were a sea animal, I would be: a sea turtle!! My favorite animal, of course!!
If I were a direction, I would be: West
If I were a piece of furniture, I would be: a recliner. So comfortable!!
If I were a sin, I would be: pride
If I were a historical figure, I would be: Jeannette Rankin
If I were a stone, I would be: a river rock. I'd love to be in the water to watch fishes swim by and the river change its shape.
If I were a tree, I would be: a cherry blossom
If I were a bird, I would be: a crow
If I were a tool, I would be: shaq. ha!
If I were a flower, I would be: a rose because I would love to blossom.
If I were a kind of weather, I would be: a warm, sunny day.
If I were a mythical creature, I would be: a mermaid. Quite obvious!!
If I were a musical instrument, I would be: a piano. And I would hope to be played often and loud!!
If I were an animal, I would be: a turtle. Because I'd be the cutest and get to eat fruits and veggies and live for a long time. Or maybe a hippo so I could be lazy and fat. Ha!!!
If I were a color, I would be: bright pink. Horray!!
If I were an emotion, I would be: joy. Nothing's better.
If I were a vegetable, I would be: a green bean. Yummers!!
If I were a sound, I would be: laughter
If I were a car, I would be: eh, I'm not really into cars. This one is hard for me. Maybe something cute and small that gets good gas milage.
If I were a movie, I would be directed by: Baz Lurhmann
If I were a book, I would be written by: anyone who wouldn't mind using exclamation points a lot
If I were a place, I would be: a beautiful white beach
If I were a material, I would be: cotton
If I were a taste, I would be: raspberry
If I were a fruit, I would be: mango
If I were a scent, I would be: floral
If I were a religion, I would be: Christianity
If I were a word, I would be: hardcore
If I were an object, I would be: a blanket. I looove cuddles!!
If I were a body part, I would be: lips
If I were a facial expression, I would be: a happy grin
If I were a subject in school, I would be: photography
If I were a comic book character, I would be: Betty so I could drink milkshakes all day!!
If I were a shape, I would be: a heart

a few interesting numbers from this week's issue of sports illustrated.

Sports Illustrated Players Poll

*Would you welcome an openly gay teammate?

MLB (based on a survey of 450 players)
Yes 61.5%
No 34.8%
Don't Know 3.7%

NBA (based on a survey of 248 players)
Yes 59.6%
No 33.6%
Don't Know 1.8%

NFL (based on a survey of 357 players)
Yes 56.9%
No 39.6%
Don't Know 3.5%

NHL (based on a survey of 346 players)
Yes 79.9%
No 18.0%
Don't know 2.1%

if this story doesn't make you cry, i don't know what will.

California here I come,
Right back where I started from

I made it back to Cali!! Horray!! Thanks to everyone who was praying for me. The weather was unbelievably perfect and sunny. It was great to finally get to see what Washington and Oregon look like. I honestly thought they were gray and rainy since that's all I saw on the drive up to Canada. :)

*Thursday, 2:25PM
I had to say goodbye to Bean and boy, was it tough. I knew if I really started crying, I would start sobbing and then I'd never make it back to Fremont. We somehow said our goodbyes, and I was on my way.

*Thursday, 3:00-3:30PM
There were a ton of cars waiting at the border to get to the U.S., but none on the Canadian side. I got a chance (finally!!) to take a picture of the Peace Arch and check out the tire marks from where the two alleged murderers from Richmond drove across trying to get away from the U.S. cops. Stupid Americans...

Luckily, going back wasn't a problem. I was asked if I was bringing anything back, and before I could answer, the guy was like, "Oh, good. You're not bringing anything back." Hahahahahahha!! He must have had a long day and I guess he didn't want to have to inspect all my stuff. Good, cause I wasn't putting it back in my car. I tried a few times to give him my Canadian "visitor" paper and he kept telling me to keep it. I finally told him that I'd really appreciate it if he took it and gave it to Canadian Immigration because they need to know that I am returning to the States. I had been granted a 3 month stay, and Canada needs to know when I officially leave. Luckily, the U.S. guy finally took it and said he'd give it to someone in Canadian Immigration. Thank goodness!!

There were also little flurries of snow at the border and right around Mt. Vernon, but luckily no major snow!!

*Thursday, 5PM
Dinner with Beth!! I was so happy to finally get to have dinner with my old dinner buddy!! When I was new to Davis, Beth was so kind as to always have dinner with me so I wouldn't be alone. She's so much fun and it was great to sort of try to fill each other in on our lives in the past 3 and a half years. She sounds like she's getting into the nitty-gritty of planning for her wedding, and I'm so excited for her!!

Thursday, 8PM
Off to Jaime and Joel's house in Issaquah!! Jaime was my bible study leader my sophomore year and I don't think I had seen her since!! I was invited to her wedding a few years ago, but it was the day my uncle had a really bad seizure and no other family members were around, so I had to help my aunt out and take care of my little cousin. It was so great to finally get to see wedding pictures and hear all about it!! Jaime and I talked forever that night, and it was great to finally catch up!!

Oh, and I did get to watch one or two Olympic events that night. First time I got to see them since Bean's TV only got one station and it wasn't the one with Olympics!! It was weird to always have to look online for updates and stories, rather than seeing it on TV.

Jaime has two cute little cats who are well....handicapped. One is blind and the other is missing a front leg!! They are so nice and adorable little guys!! When I was brushing my teeth that night, the blind one hopped up on the toilet, and put his head in. I guess he was trying to find the bottom and totally fell in!! I tried not to spit up toothpaste all over Jaime's beautiful beveled mirror, and rescue the poor guy. He was totally soaked and there was water all over the place. I guess he tried to get out, but his claws weren't working, and I was just hoping he wouldn't freak out if I grabbed him. Luckily, no scratches for me. Then, the other cat went over to check out what was going on, and jumped on the toilet as well!! I had to shoo her away and put the seat cover over it so there were no more wet kitties that night!!

Friday-all day
Jaime took me to Seattle to show me the sights!! I was so very excited because ever since I was about 12 or 13, I've always wanted to visit. Part of it was that I was madly in love with Eddie Vedder at the time, but part of it was because of all the cool places I'd heard about.

We first saw the Space Needle which looked taller than I had imagined. We decided not to go up it since it probably costs an arm and a leg and we had taken some cool pictures instead.

After that, we were driving along when I saw signs for Fremont. I guess it's a district in Seattle, and Jaime said we should check it out cause it's pretty groovy. Apparently, Fremont believes it's at the center of the universe, and built a 53 foot rocket to celebrate that fact. Okay, so I can't call Fremont, CA "Freakmont" anymore. This place takes the cake. They even have a motto in Latin, and it means, "Freedom to be peculiar." Go for it!! Hahahahahahah!! We also visited this HUUUUUGE troll sculpture someone made underneath an overpass. It was scary!! Oh, and there was also this really tall statue of Lenin with flames and guns. I was pretty much speechless, too.

We then headed over to Pike's fish market. I had a crab sandwich for lunch and it was soooo heavenly and sweet. I haven't had crab this year, and I'm sooo glad I got to have some!! We also went to the first Starbucks which doesn't really say anywhere that it's the first one. I guess locals know, and you can sort of tell, because the original mermaid design is still on the windows. You can tell, because her boobies are saying hello. :) Everyone was sooooo nice and friendly in there.

We then went walking down the market where people were selling jewelry and fruit and stuff. We didn't take the underground tour because Jaime had just done it like two days before. She gave me the lowdown and showed me some pics. Basically, that part of Seattle was built on sawdust (that can't be good when there's an earthquake) and burned down. The local merchants decided to build a story or two above the old buildings, and that's where the buildings today stand. Back when prohibition was going on, locals used the underground for illegal booze. I saw some pics of bathtubs used for making beer, etc. Hee hee!!

We also got to see Pike's Fish Market and I was soooo tempted to buy few huge crabs, but I wasn't sure they'd make the trip with me and it would sure stink up my car!! I might just order a few in a couple of days. Oooooohhhhh, crab....mmmmmmm!! It was sort of funny to watch all the tourists wait around for someone to buy a fish or something cause the guys there (obviously) don't move around and sing until someone's bought something. Luckily, someone did, and it was great to watch them throw it around and sing.

On Caitlin's advice, we also hung out at the crazy looking public library.

It was so much fun, and we didn't even look at books!! The floor when you first walk in is wood, and there are a bunch of quotes from books in different languages sort of etched in. The escalators and elevators are the color of a yellow highlighter. At one point, we walked into a red hall which curved around and led us into a big red center. I thought it looked like a giant heart, but I'm not exactly sure what it was. I did buy this awesome shirt with sort of a cute nerdy girl on the front that says, "Reading is sexy"!!! Hahahahahah!! We basically kept walking around finding new and cool things to check out. When we were on the 10th floor, we sat down in one of the big reading rooms. One girl sitting there started sketching me and it was sort of freaky and cool at the same time. We also saw the weird floating and talking heads when we were going down an escalator. If you are ever in Seattle, I highly recommend coming in and checking all the cool things out!!

Saturday, 5:36AM
I got all the frost off of my car windows, and I'm ready to drive all day!! I think all in all, it took 14 hours to go from Seattle to Fremont with stops for gas, bathroom breaks, and lunch. Like I said above, it was so much fun to actually get to see what Washington and Oregon look like!! Washington has so many large and tall trees and you really notice when you pass through the border into Oregon, because they all disappear. Oregon seemed less populated and they drive just like they do in Washington. People don't really drive in the fast lane (there's only two, so don't freak), but they use it to pass you up. Then, the idiots sort of cut you off when they get back into the slow lane. I don't think they understand the concept of leaving room so you don't have to break.

I really loved driving through the Oregon/California border. The pass is amazing to get to drive through and is only 4,310 feet at the highest elevation. There seems to be a lot of driving up and then going back down...not so much a gradual climb. There was a beautiful view of Mt. Shasta once I was in Cali, so I did pull over and take a quick picture. It was also great to drive through Weed and see the snow on the ground, and what it looks like with the sun.

All in all, it was a great trip back, and I was so tired and hungry and sleepy when I got home. It was great to come back to a welcoming family who helped me unpack and even got me an ice cream cake that said, "Welcome back, Nets!" on it!! Now, I'm just in unpack mode...reorganizing stuff...and looking for a job. Wish me luck!!

Be exceptional. Make tremendous efforts to be extraordinary. What a privilege to be here on the planet to contribute your unique donation to humankind. Just make sure you do so... -Shelby Lynne

Girls are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. The boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

getting in the spirit of st. patrick's day

Your Irish Name Is...

Ciara Sheridan

What's your Irish Name?

i have no idea which ones i got incorrect. how embarassing that i didn't get a perfect score!!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 8 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

horray, a perfect score!!

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

you know i wanted to be pink!! :)

Your Power Color Is Gold

At Your Highest: You are engrossed in passions that mentally stimulate you. At Your Lowest: You seek thrills and neglect what's important in your life. In Love: You see dating as adventure and approach it with an open attitude. How You're Attractive: You passion for life makes others passionate about you. Your Eternal Question: "Am I Having Fun?"

What's Your Power Color?

this is fun

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

*rolls eyes*

yes, yes. boycott san francisco. you dorks. i personally have always thought that the military shouldn't be able to access kids in high school. and i believe that by saying that, i'm not turning my back on my state, country, or anyone who's served in any wars!! in no way is that a slap in the face to people who serve or make me a non-supporter of the military.

i can't believe that people in socal care so much and want to boycott sf. go for it. we'll just cut off your water supply. it's what you get for LIVING IN THE FREAKING DESERT.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

so sometimes i miss tv a bit because we only get one station on bean's little tv up here in canadia. that means no olympics because we don't get that station, weird news sometimes...oh man, it's bad. anyway, the stupid guy on the news tonight is dumber than the regular guy and when it comes time for nba highlights from the all-star game, all he can talk about is nash. BORRING. i know the guy's a canadian, but they showed a clip of him missing like 15 shots in a row!! and nothing else!!

i was looking at news and found this article about super nate robinson!! one of my really good friends worked with me at the men's wearhouse, and is nate's aunt. she told me one day who he was and i totally freaked out. this was when he played for udub, and i was excited because i knew who he was. a month or two later, he had a nice article in sports illustrated. i am so pumped for him because he has the greatest attitude on everything!! congrats, super nate!! :)

You like potatoes
And I like potatoes
You like tomatoes
And I like tomatoes
Potatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes
Let's call the whole thing off

being up here, i've seen a lot of words spelled differently, and for some reason, i can't help but giggle everytime i do. like: favourite, colour, flavour, even odour. (which, btw, is the funniest one!!)

also, a few pronunciations are different. decal (i say, "dee-cal") is said "day-cal." and mazda (i say, "mahz-duh") is pronounced, "mas-duh" up here.

did you know that some canadians also say, "zed" instead of "zee" as the last letter of the alphabet?? it's the french way, if you weren't in the know, and sometimes, no, EVERYTIME, it makes me giggle out loud. GOL (c) netties!!

oh yeah, suckas. read it. and don't weep. just remember.

http://wigu.com/overcompensating/

unusually wet/warm season, or global warming??

i was just watching the news here in vancouver and apparently we're having the wettest january, ever. it rained for 29 of 31 days and had the most rain, too. in other major cities in canada, the average temperature was up 6-10 degrees C. hmmmmmmm.

when i was two years old, my mommy gave birth to my brother, erik. i'm sure in an effort to "help" her, she told me i was the big sister in charge of him. BIG mistake. i now have the feeling every now and then that i should be in charge of other things, and i start to make lists in my head of what i'd change about whatever it is i'm thinking about. so, without further adieu, i present, a list of things i'd change about sports.

*ncaa football playoffs
all right, so people have been talking about this a lot the last season, but erik and i have always thought this was a great idea. they have it in division II, and it works great there!! they could do it for division I as well and still have each game sponsored (or the last ones) if college football whines about it.

*playoff commentators
on the subject of the playoffs, one thing that really bothers me when i'm watching any sport is the commentators. they get two lame dudes who i've never heard of to talk about two teams they know little about. they generalize all their comments, talk only about two of the good players from each team, and will flip-flop for who they're rooting for. i think there should be a happy marriage here. i'm talking about one commentator from each team's media group. and they have to take turns talking about the game. i think it would make for a more interesting game because both are a little biased which will make for some colorful moments, and they know who the random guys are. no more, "oh, great catch by number 86!!" :)

*i'm sorry notes/timeout corner
sometimes when i'm watching football, i'll shout at a player that he needs to go in the timeout corner. this is usually for really bad personal fouls, or when someone is just not focused on the game. i think that a player has to cool off for mean plays and sit in the timeout corner. for really bad plays, they have to sit and write an "i'm sorry" letter, too.

*drugs
okay, really, a zero tolerance here. testing ALL the time, and pretty much one chance after you've tested positive for something until you're banned for life. FORever. and all your stats will be erased.

*more respect for kickers
i don't know why, but i love 'em. ever since i was a little girl, i've always wanted to be a kicker in the nfl. they get so little respect for what they do. true, all they do is kick a ball, but when the game is on the line, i'd like to see more respect to go to the guy who got those last points for the win, than the quarterback who was having trouble throughing anything in the endzone. kickers are either not respected, or teased for chocking on a game-winning field goal. i think they need more hugs and high-fives for points they get.

*hockey rules
i have a theory that americans don't like hockey because they're stupid. i think it takes someone with an active brain to watch what's going on because the pace is so fast. but honestly, it's not that hard to understand!! there's just a lot of movement involved. no pauses like in baseball between pitches, or in football as refs move the ball up the field. for god sakes, the line changes are as the puck is moving. moving, moving, moving. i think they should have hockey clinics so people can figure out what the hell is going on, and finally enjoy the best fucking game in the world. even the calls are easy to figure out; guess what a two-line pass is??

*sportswriters
there are probably only a handful of people who write about sports i'm not talking about. but for everyone else, listen up. you are NOT, i repeat, NOT allowed to comment on things you saw on a replay or know nothing about. for example, todd bertuzzi. almost everyone who wrote articles about what an animal he was after his hit on moore is a retard. first, were any of them paying attention to the last time vancouver played colorado?? most likely not, because if they did, they'd know that moore gave nasland a concussion and NO penalty was assesed to him. of course bertuzzi is going for retribution in the next game. and it wasn't him that caused damage to moore, it was colorado's players landing on him to get bertuzzi off that hurt him the most. in closing, if you don't know the details or previous incidents, specific stats about a team/game/player, you're not allowed to write about it. oh, and sportswriters are not allowed to comment on whiney players. nobody likes to hear about them (i.e., t.o.) so just drop it already.

*forward progress
this is one of the stupidest rules in football. i don't care that a player got to the 10 yard line. i care that he ended up 5 yards back. if he isn't smart enough to drop to his knees, or doesn't have anyone pushing him forward (think rugby) then he doesn't deserve the closest spot.

*batting gloves
batters CANNOT keep adjusting their gloves inbetween each pitch. baseball is slow enough. if you stop to adjust, i'll ban them.

*knee down in ncaa football
this is so lame. i hate that when a receiver has been running down the field at full blast, but trips over his own feet. if nobody is around, that's where they spot the ball. i feel like i'm watching a high school game because it gets so slow for this rule.

*locker rooms with cameras
okay, so i'm kidding on this one. sort of. just seeing if you made it through the list. :)

just a few things i've noticed since i've been here...

differences between the u.s. and canada

*maple leafs everywhere.
no, seriously. they're on signs for mc donald's (which they sometimes say MAC donald's), wendy's, blockbuster, denny's, etc. it's like, "in case you didn't know you were going to a canadian denny's, we'll put a maple leaf on the sign, so you'll know everything's in candian dollars." hehehehehe!!

*boston pizza and new york fries.
those are chains up here, but not back in the states. boston pizza is like chili's and a sports bar had a high-class baby. it's really yummy!! and new york fries sells poutine, a candian treat. but hey, i can't make too much fun of these american names in canada, since we eat "canadian" bacon and it's not called that up here. :)

*km/g/metric system!!
ahhhhhh!! it's taking a while to get used to, but they also measure things in inches, and weigh things in pounds. grrrrrrrrrrr.

*one dollar and two dollar coins
last time i was up there, i kept getting one and two dollars back with coins. i knew they had them up in canada, but i thought they also had bills. i thought i was getting them because they knew i was a tourist. it's really a good idea, because they're easy to find for the bus or whatever, and i'm sure it saves the government tons on not printing a bazillion dollar bills each year. but they have silly names and i try not to giggle when people say them outloud. a dollar coin is a looney and a two dollar coin is a tooney. i'm pretty sure those are both misspelled.

*hockey
one thing i LOOOOVE about (or should i say, aboot??) canada is that hockey is effing everwhere. no, seriously. even the junior championships were the top story every night up here. i looooove that canadians get this game!!

*english/francais
all right, so this i already knew; everything in english on a box of cereal is also in french. but it's seriously on EVERYthing!! i do double takes every now and then when i see the name for bran flakes or whatever. hopefully my french will improve un peu.

*driving
so there's no reflectors on the roads, no reflective paint, no u-turns at signals and weird left turns. the first two drive me absofuckinglutely crazy at night, because i just have to follow the car in front of me. the u-turns thing is more like, you can turn around if you've pulled to the right side of the road and nobody is coming, which is never in vancouver. sometimes you get "advanced" green signals for left turns, and sometimes you don't. so sometimes at a signal, there will be a specific left turn lane which you get to go through before oncoming traffic, and sometimes you don't. when you don't, you have to wait for traffic to clear first, which sometimes means you wait until the light turns red, and you fucking fly through the intersection.

*news
it seems a bit more fun and relaxed up here. no crazy ladies in tons of makeup, and they're just reading the news like robots. they showed a clip from the daily show the other day where jon stewart is making fun of canadian election ads. they showed it on the news and had a good laugh. i loved it.

*gov't
of course their government is different from ours; we hated the british and they have the queen on some of their money. it's interesting to learn the different parties up here since there's an election tomorrow, and figure out how people are represented and stuff. oh, and the liberals aren't really liberal.

*flags
damn, canadians have flags on everything!! if you had 5 american flags in front of your house in the states, people either think you have a son serving in the army, or you're a crazy hick. they have a lot of pride up here, eh.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

"um, so our son is really this saint. he's a smart young man who went on a spiritual quest and he's smart and listened to bin laden speak twice, but had no idea he was a terrorist."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/01/19/american.taliban.ap/index.html

i call bullshit. any person in the world who listened to the news knew that bin laden was not a good man before 9/11. does anyone remember previous terrorist activites by him?? bombings in tanzania, kenya, on the u.s.s. cole, being one of the fbi's most wanted terrorists BEFORE 9/11. hmmmmmm...that sort of screams terrorist to me. *rolls eyes*

My big trip!!

Hi everyone,

I hope you all are doing well and had a fabulous New Year celebration!! I wanted to update you all on my big move to Canada!! I have a feeling that this might be a long post, so just know that I made it up here okay...on my second attempt. Feel free to skim the highlights below!!

*December 30, 6:38AM (all times are approx!!)
Oh my goodness...it's so dark in the morning!! Bean and I finished putting the bike on my car and hopped in to start our big journey!! My Mom took a quick picture of us, and it's the only one I have for our trip!! After this point, it pretty much rains and pours on us for the rest of the trip. :)

*December 30, 10:29AM
Thanks to my cousin Caitlin, I had some In N Out cash to spend. Bean and I googled the northernmost location, and found out it was in Redding and that they opened at 10:30. Hamburgers have never tasted so sweet!!

*December 30, 11:03AM
Back on the road, heading up I-5 when a sign tells us that it's going to be closed up at Yreka and they have
no time table as to when it will re-open. It's closed due to rockslides, mudslides, and flooding. Lovely!! I had been planning on driving for 9 or 10 hours the first day, and 5 or 6 the second, and I only got to do 5 on the first day. We made it up to Weed and stopped there because of the snow on the road. I honestly was pretty freaked out because I knew the road up ahead was going to be closed, and all of a sudden, there was snow and me with no snow chains. Luckily, at the exit, there was a wonderful hotel and Taco Bell. We were saved!!

Bean was getting over the last bit of a cold and had slept most of the way, and I got him more medicine and he seemed fine by night. Luckily, I have the coolest Father in the world who kept checking the weather in the area and giving us lots of calls with updates. Turns out that the snow was going away and we would have a little window of time in the morning to
"escape" before another snowstorm came in.

*December 31, 6:35AM
On the road again and it's too dark to take any pictures of the mountains with snow on them. Oh yeah, and it's POURING rain like I've never seen before in my life with lots of wind, so it's really difficult to take pictures.

We are almost to the Oregon border when we notice a car stopped in the fast lane and one on the side of the road. I slow down to see two huge boulders in the road!! Oh my goodness!! It looks like they had just fallen off the side of the mountain, and one car either was hit with one, or by the other car. There was a truck driver and another car helping out, so I didn't stop. There was a lot of confusion already and everyone looked okay, so I didn't feel too bad not stopping.

*December 31, 8:24AM
I pull over to get gas, only to find that there's someone outside of my car ready to pump. I've never been to a gas station where this has happened!! I felt like I was in 1950 or something. "Fill er up, sonny!!" Hahahahahah!!

*December 31, 8:28AM
Okay, I was freaking out so much for the guy pumping my gas that I forgot to hit up the bathroom. We pull over at the next rest stop and notice they have free coffee at these things in Oregon!! They also had other treats, and I really wanted to take a picture of it (since there was this huge sign stating, "FREE COFFEE") but again...really hard with pouring rain and wind. Oregon is cooler than I thought.

*December 31, 11:50AM
Still driving through Oregon and Bean and I decided to stop at Wendy's in Eugene. We walk in to see 90% of
the people there wearing green and yellow. I guess Oregon was playing basketball later on, but dang, everyone was sporting some sort of Oregon gear!! Even two young girls had their hair painted green. I felt really out of place since I had blue on (go bears!!) and because I kept giggling at everyone.

*December 31, 1:20PM
Did you know Safeway sells gas?? Well, it totally does, and it was the cheapest gas on the way up. I believe it was $1.96/gallon. And I thought I had a deal when I found it for $2.01 in Fremont before I left!! (By the way, I'm not looking forward to the conversions with Canadian dollars and litres up at the gas stations up here. I'm hoping Bean will be able to help out and let me know when it's expensive!!)

*December 31, afternoon
We're pretty much just driving through rain and rain and rain and I start to hate Oregon drivers for cutting me off, especially when it's so wet outside. I want to punch them.

*December 31, afternoon
We are now in Washington, and it looks exactly like what I had seen in pictures. Oregon was wet, wet, and wet, and Washington is wet with really big trees. Their drivers just like to get in front of you and make you slam on your brakes. I'm starting to miss California drivers.

*December 31, 5:30PM
Bean and I are in Seattle and looking for a Starbucks. I had gathered a bunch of change before I left and put it on a Starbucks card. I remembered I had it and figured I could get a snack there and recharge for the last leg of the trip!! It was hard to see anything outside since we weren't downtown and it was pretty dark. Canada, here we come!!

*December 31 8:30-10PM
Canadian border!! I was so excited and nervous and ready to get to Vancouver so I could unload my car and sleep for a while!! Bean and I told the guy at the window our story, and we were told to go inside to Immigration. We talked to them for a while and they guy there told me that I would not be allowed into Canada. I was told by a lawyer that I could enter Canada under a "visitor" status and find a job from that point. So that's what I told immigration. I guess there were two red flags when I was up there that would have been nice to know ahead of time. I was told that I would have to have proof of residence in California, proof of funds, and proof of past employment. Also, since I had so much stuff in my car, it looked like I was moving up there, and I'm not allowed to do that as a "visitor." The guy says if I get those papers faxed up, I can come back up. I'm trying to not freak out, and just sort of nod my head at everything he says.

Bean and I turn back around to the U.S. only to have another problem. Since Bean is Canadian, they want to know why he's coming back again. We had to go to inside to U.S. Immigration to tell them our story. Luckily, we had a really understanding guy who said it wasn't a problem. He gave both of us some forms letting us know what type of documents to bring in for my return up to Canada. He also told me that I would really have to prove my point next time because if I didn't get in next time, I could be physically removed from Canada, taken (next door, basically) to the U.S. and be banned for 5 years. I started crying at this point, just from being tired, frustrated, and a bit scared. The guy felt awful, and reminded me that everything was okay, and I should cry since it was so close to New Year's.

*December, 31, 10:30PM
We got the clear to go back to the U.S. and drove to Bellingham for the night. Luckily, by the time we were checked in and found food and got cleaned up, we hadn't missed midnight. I had to call my parents to let them know that I was denied up at the border, and I would need their help faxing some things down the next morning.

*January 1, 9:02AM
After several calls to my parents, who are both incredible people for helping me out so very much, it sounded like we could get all the items I needed. My Mom's friend's Aunt lives up in Bellingham (random!!) and has a three story house. She said she was more than willing to store some items for me so it didn't look like I was "moving" up to Canada, just "visiting."

*January 1, 3:03PM
Bean and I were again on our way with all the documents and had unpacked some items, and totally ready to get to the border. Luckily, the drive was quick, and the wait was about 3 minutes instead of about 20 the night before. We were asked to go into immigration again so I could show my proof of everything, basically. It was a long process with a lot of questions, but I got in!! The guy working was really nice and even had to run a background check. Woohoo!! I get to stay here for 3 months as a "visitor" and in that time, I'll be looking for a job and a work permit.

*January 1, 6:00PM
We finally pull up to the house, get slightly unpacked, call our parents, and order some yummy Chinese food. Mmmmmmm!! I can't believe I'm actually here...after all the drama...and I can't wait to sleep!! One weird thing I noticed while driving from the border to Vancouver, there are little to no reflectors on the roads and sometimes no painted lines. That was sure fun in the dark and rain in a new country!! I'm trying to focus on how many kilometers/hour I'm driving instead of miles, and all of a sudden, I'm not sure what lane I'm in. Hahahahahah!!

Well, if you've made it to this point, you get a gold star!! Horray for finally being in Canada!! :)

You men have no idea what we're dealing with down
there. Teeth placement, and jaw stress, and suction,
and gag reflex, and all the while bobbing up and down,
moaning and trying to breathe through our noses. Easy?
Honey, they don't call it a job for nothin'. (samantha's hilarious observation from an episode of sex and the city)

i've been watching sex and the city lately...and i apologize for the graphic quote. it just made me laugh out loud, and i felt like sharing. and, it's my blog and i can do what i want!!

man, christmas was so much fun this year!! the best christmas, EVAH!! i think bean coming down to hang out with the family was what made it the greatest. last year was hard without him, and it was so much fun with him here this time. luckily, he had met almost everyone in the family, so it wasn't too overwhelming with new people. we all had a great day and i was so spoiled with all the presents i recieved.

it's sort of ironic that i hate the whole materialism of christmas, but yet i LOVE giving people gifts. i honestly had fun getting people presents and there's so much joy when someone opens something that i've gotten them. i think it's because i'm so impatient and i bounce up and down for days, just waiting for people to open their gifts.

back to me being spoiled, holy cow!! i had a huge stack of presents, with lots of pink stuff!! woohoo!! i always feel sort of awful after i'm carrying my haul upstairs because it seems like so much. arg. i do try to donate more around this time of year, and buy some for those less fortunate. i dunno, it's something i struggle with a bit, i 'spose.

anyway, i should get back to tv...the sharkies are on!! tomorrow is my day of packing my car, and i'm leaving for canada on wednesday morning!! woohoo!! canada or bust. eh. :)

viva las bears!!



hee hee, my bears won!! horray!! i had my special lynch/bishop jersey on for good luck!! although i just read an article on sfgate.com that has two pictures of lynch (one CLEARLY with his last name in view) posted as bishop. uh, duh, he plays defense. *giggles*

here's mah boy when he was in fuego two games ago!! too bad he lost like 4 teeth tonight. i've yet to find a cool pic of that.



that's all from the sports world of netties. thanks, and goodnight!! :)

no, don't blame the kids, blame yourselves for going into debt!! when will people take responsibility for their actions?? spoiling your children only hurts them in the long run. who do you think is going to take care of these debt-ridden parents when they are 77, and needing money to pay for medication?? not their spoiled-ass kids!! they won't be used to taking care of someone else.

now, i don't believe all children are being raised this way today; but it is a trend that is becoming all too common. my parents had enough money to buy me a car, but they knew that there was an important lesson in letting me figure out car payments, insurance, and gas. i heartily thank them for teaching me responsibility and debt. it frustrates me that some people my age aren't learning this and keep piling on thousands and thousands of dollars of debt each year. (and i'm not talking about student loans or medical bills.)

*steps off of soapbox*

i'm sure i've taken this one before...


#41


What Dave Matthews Band Song Are You (Results Contain Pictures)?
brought to you by Quizilla

i <3 god.

so i'm beginning to think that joe thornton was part of the 555 deal. he's helped his teammates score 5 goals in his first three games as a shark. WOOHOO!!

oh, and i'm super excited because i'm going to the game on thursday!! go sharks!!

thank you joe, for igniting the passion i knew the sharkies had!! i thought that the last game against detroit was the best hockey i'd seen the sharks play this season, but tonight's game was UNBELIEVABLE!! keep bringing the boys up to the level of play i know they're capable of.

and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SHARKS!!!

almost every ounce of me (excluding my ankles) loves the cold, rain, and wind!! thank goodness it finally looks like fall around here. i'm sure i'll take back the first statement when i'm in vancouver and all it's been doing for 3 months is been cold and rainy. but for the time, i love it!! horray!! :)

well, i know i'm probably going to kick myself for this, but i want the rain!! it was so awesome to wake up to the gentle sounds against my window this morning. and all of a sudden, the clouds part and the sun is beaming!! i want the rain!! i know once i'm in vancouver, i'll be begging for sun. i wish it would just rain here for the WHOLE DAY. is that too much to ask for?? i was looking forward to sitting all cuddled up with some hot chocolate, but not with this warm and sunny weather!!

thanksgiving was lots of fun at my house. it's not as many people as christmas, so it's a bit quieter...and i like the loudness. i didn't eat a whole lot, but felt pretty full at the end of the night. teesta's wine was so yummy!! i'll have to smuggle a bunch to canada!!

today is sort of a lazy day for me. i'm doing some organizing/cleaning and being a bum inbetween. i feel like i have so many things to bring to canada; it's very overwhelming!! at least i'm not bringing furniture, but i do have a lot of purses and shoes!!

and, hee hee, this was just too funny!! the best quote is, "They (teachers) don't have a license to hold forth on a particular standpoint." damn, so they need licenses now?? :)

Oh, they had a little party down in Newport;
There was Harry, there was Mary, there was Grace.
Oh, they had a little party down in Newport,
And they had to carry Harry from the place.

Oh, they had to carry Harry to the ferry,
And the ferry carried Harry to the shore;
And the reason that they had to carry Harry to the ferry
Was that Harry couldn't carry any more.

For California, for California,
The hills send back the cry,
We're out to do or die,
For California, for California,
We'll win the game or know the reason why.

And when the game is over, we will buy a keg of booze,
And drink to California 'till we wobble in our shoes.

So drink, tra la la,
Drink, tra la la,
Drink, drank, drunk last night,
Drunk the night before;
Gonna get drunk tonight
Like I never got drunk before;

For when I'm drunk, I'm as happy as can be
For I am member of the Souse family.

Now the Souse family is the best family
That ever came over from old Germany.
There's the Highland Dutch, and the Lowland Dutch,
The Rotterdam Dutch, and the Irish.

Sing glorious, victorious,
One keg of beer for the four of us.
Sing glory be to God that there are no more of us,
For one of us could drink it all alone. Damn near.
Here's to the Irish, dead drunk. The lucky stiffs
They had 4/5ths, a 6 pack too of homemade brew... (cal drinking song)


i said it last week, and i'll say it again. levy for president. :)

p.s. i love how the cal crowd would chant, "UC DAVIS!!" anytime stanFUrd got a first down or thought they were doing something good. woohoo and go aggies!!

You seem so out of context in this gaudy apartment complex
A stranger with your door key explaining that I am just visiting
And I am finally seing why I was the one worth leaving (the district sleeps alone tonight, the postal service)

horray for bean and i!! we finally made it to our first hockey game this season!! i was a little afraid when the season started that we would move before seeing my sharks, and then really be trying to save money and not be able to see even the canucks!! :( but i found tickets online and we made it to the game on wednesday. it was so much fun even though my sharkies lost. it was so funny because bean was wearing erik's bertuzzi shirt and all these morons were talking trash about him during the game. but i stood up for him and made some grown man next to me shutup for a while. then he started complaining in the last few seconds of the game that the sharks sucked and how he wanted his money back for the game. i fucking HATE "fans" like this. stupid fairweather fans that have no idea about any of the players, stats, other teams. they just want to see "their" team win and talk about how awesome they were. it took a lot to hold me back, but i really wanted to ask the guy if he could name two players on the sharks. hee hee!!

after the game, bean and i hustled back to the car and grabbed that big-ass poster of cheechoo that erik bought me the last season the sharks played. we went to where the players exit to have him sign it and i was so damn nervous!! as i've mentioned before, it's seriously stalker-size and i was afraid he'd call security over after seeing this huge poster!! but i rolled it up pretty well (so he couldn't see how big his face is!!) and managed to say something like, "i love how you always try your hardest. keep up the good work." it was all a blur, but at least i said something. there were those stupid guys who are only there to get autographs to sell on ebay. we at least made eye contact and he said thanks. siiiiiiiigh. hee hee, bean. don't worry. i will never leave you for him. you are my one and only, you hottie!! :)

today was pretty awesome because i got to see harry effin potter!! i went with my mom and my sista megan at the 1:45 showing and there surprisingly weren't a whole lot of people there. we arrived there two hours early, and there was nobody in line so we walked around for a bit. luckily we went to milpitas so it looks like that was the good call cause union city was totally sold out. it was a great movie, and it just makes me want to reread the books again.

tomorrow should be a nice relaxing day of watching cal and stanFUrd. (and since it's big game time, i can't leave this link out. and probably a bit of cleaning for my going-away party on sunday. at that point, i should know where exactly i'll be moving to and things can sort of fall into place from there. it will be a big change from this unseasonably warm november weather, but that's why i have my bean. that man is the warmest thing, evah!! it's so sad since he went back up to canada yesterday to get things organized up there. i miss him so very much and hope i can get a-moving so i can be with him soon!! :)

and happy three years of having a blog for me. crazy how times flies...

cal band great!!

this is such a cute picture!! my daddy looks so happy...probably because he got to "play" the bass drum. what a goofy grape!! my sista caitlin is in the middle, and i'm not sure who is on the left.



i guess my dad's workmate invited the straw hat band out to sf and he raised a bunch of money for them, fed them, AND passed out gift cards. man, what a great time!!

go bears...beat stinky stanFUrd on saturday!!

dum dum dum dummmmmmmm (caitlin's drumming is on tv!! i can see and hear you, sista!! go bears!!)

i'm not very eloquent with my speech sometimes; i like to be the queen of superlatives and use emotion more than i would like to. this article is exactly what i feel like i've been trying to say for a while. take some responsibility for your actions, foolios!! :)

i can't believe i live in a country where this type of nonsense takes place. please pray for jack and that this system begins to worry less about money and more about actually helping people.

i know this is going to sound so silly, but happy one year anniversary of meeting each other to my beanie!! yup, one year ago bean and i finally met when he flew down to see me. we celebrated tonight by going to get dollar tacos; like we did a year ago.

bean, you really makes me stop and think and remember how blessed i am. i truly have the most wonderful boyfriend in the world. you are without a doubt the most caring and honest and loving person i have ever met. baby, you are beyond anything i could have dreamed up and you will always be my prince charming. i love you with all of my heart and you mean everything. ilymtylm.

"little things used to mean so much to shelly. i used to think they were kind of trivial. believe me, nothing is trivial." brandon lee as eric draven in the crow

da da da da da da da da da HEY!! da da da da daaaa
da da da da da da da da da HEY!! da da da da daaaa (rock and roll part 2, gary glitter)

oh. my. goodness.

it's hockey season!! and i'm so impressed with mah sharkies!! i believe they were the only team to go undefeated in the preseason. (not like they played any hard teams...but nobody else did it!!) giggles!!

i'm so sad i won't make it to a game this season. sniff, sniff. but it looks like i'll be able to see them play once or twice in vancouver. HORRAY!!

i still need to get my huge-ass cheechoo picture signed. it's still really big. like something a stalker would buy. and makeout with every night. but i didn't buy it so it's okay. but he doesn't know that. i am so embarassed to have him sign it!! eeeeeeeeeks!!

but yes...hockey is back. it's about time, too. it feels so good to scream and yell after an amazing goal. oh, and btw, erik saw drew remenda in san jose the other day. he said loudly to my mom, "hey, look. it's drew remenda." and i guess he heard him!! hee hee!! i told erik i would have given him a big hug and told him that he's awesome. he said that the refs SUCKED during the last game. what a guy.

all right...back to finishing a few things up for the lair, and then more cleaning up and organizing before i pack for OOOOHHHH CANADA!! :) woohoo!! :) :) :)