YES!!!!

Some things that I am particularly jazzed about:

• I got an A in my Theory class. AN A!!!!!!!
• I won best costume design at the department banquet last night (yeah, we didn't go. Ironic.)
• Annie's dress is coming right along (pictures will follow after the wedding, just to be safe.)
• We met with our new landlords yesterday (again) and they are still wonderfully sweet.
• Last up, my last spring semester EVER is over!

Shhhhh, I'm hiding...

I'm hanging out in the shop manager's office, sort of hiding. I thought I would jot down a few thoughts that have been jumping around:

1. There is a funny lady who works in the shop occasionally who calls me "Hilary" on a regular basis. It's weird because she doesn't know my sister, I've mentioned her a few times but nothing excessive. Today she said I must "remind (her) of a Hilary." Odd.
   
2. My ward is awesome. I went visiting teaching last night and it was really great. It's funny because it takes a while to start but then I'm really happy that I did it. And, I had a really random conversation with a lady from my ward. She called me about some ward stuff and then we chatted. It made my day.
3. Wearing short sleeves in the winter time makes me excited for spring. When I was a kid I used to put my swim suit on for less than five minutes but it would get me excited for the eventual thaw.

Okay, I'm done. Back to work....

Infomercials

Of all the odd things that I enjoy I am going to share another oddity with you: infomercials. Not all, just a few:

Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special
Romancing the Seventies
and BareMinerals by BareEscentuals



First up, The Midnight Special. Even though I've seen this a bajillion times, I STILL have a hard time falling asleep once this one starts! I think it's because I love watching musicians perform and it features a couple of David Bowie performances. I also think I continue to hope that the infomercial will change and show different clips. OR it could also be due to the late hour that I usual see it.

Next up, Romancing the Seventies. WHERE do I start? There are so many things to love about this silly program. First off, it's hosted by Tony Orlando and some lady who has apparently made a career out of hosting music on TV type programs because she seems awfully comfortable with the whole deal. Setting aside the obvious awesomeness of Tony Orlando, some of the music choices are really horrible. REALLY horrible.

1. Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again Naturally" (#27 on my playlist) While the song may appear to be just another mellow piano and cymbal based song, take a minute to LISTEN to the lyrics. Yep, he DID just say he was contemplating suicide by throwing himself off a tower AND his life really sucked.
2. Engelbert Humperdinck's "After the Lovin'" Oh, I don't know if I can even get past his name and the song title. I find the idea of singing someone to sleep with a song you "wrote yesterday" not particularly romantic. Not so much writing the song but specifying WHEN you wrote it. Also I have problems with the phrase "the lovin'" and the name Engelbert Humperdinck. Why change your name from Arnold George Dorsey? Is it that bad?
3. Diana Ross's "Touch Me In The Morning" It's probably just the clip they show but every time I follow her line "touch me in the morning" with "don't even think about touching me any other time of the daaaaay." Probably only really funny to me and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
4. America's "Horse With No Name" Since when is this a love song? Seriously, have I been missing something?
5. Same goes for Paul Simon's "Kodachrome."
6. B.J. Thomas' "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" Holy CRAP, that is A LOT of words in that title. I'm putting this on this list for the sheer tongue-tying aspects of the title alone.
7. Helen Redding "Angie Baby" I'm pretty sure this song is about a "lady of the night" or a "lady of questionable morals" or a "strumpet" or the same subject as the Reba McIntire song "Fancy." (A side note, Jessica Simpson's perfume is called Fancy. It STILL cracks me up!)
8. Bread "Guitar Man" Just because a song contains the word "love" I don't think it qualifies as a love song.

There were a few others but I honestly can't remember what they were. Maybe I'll write down my ideas the next time I'm sitting around and the informerical comes on.

Last up is something I actually really LOVE.
I started using Bare Minerals in September and I have actually seen an improvement in my skin. Honestly. I bought it via Sephora and it was well worth the expense of $60.
The kit contained three brushes, magical primer, two foundations, "warmth" (sort of bronzer that doesn't have a cheeto effect) and "mineral veil" (a translucent powder that looks really sparkly but somehow isn't.) It also came with a how-to DVD and a booklet. While the infomerical sort of drove me nuts with the host (CEO Leslie Blogett) repeating "swirl, tap, buff" so many times it could be a drinking game if I were the drinking type. Plus, it all seemed too good to be true: it covers, doesn't feel like make up AND it is good for just about any skin type? It took a couple of conversations over the summer to help me make my decision to purchase the kit (namely two conversations with actual users and numerous infomercial viewings.) The prognosis?
I love it!
My skin is a heck of a lot clearer than it has been, well, since I started wearing make-up and it feels softer too. The only downside is I ran out of primer a month and a half ago (the kit contained a deluxe sample size, just enough to get you hooked.) I've been substituting Benefit's Dr. Feelgood and Korre's Face Primer. (I purchased the Benefit product on a whim a couple of months ago and only figured it out recently. I received a deluxe sample of the Korres primer via the Beauty Insider program.)

There you have it, the infomercials I sort of like. I'm even more strange than you though!

I'm not a shopaholic

I'm just sick of walking to school with wet feet.
And they were on sale.
Who knew Logan was such a wet place?

A Tag of 49 Facts

49 Things Tag FILL IT OUT!
Learn 49 things about your friends, and let them learn 49 things about you!

1. Do you like blue cheese? Not really, but I am awfully fond of mozzarella soy cheese and almond Swiss cheese.

2. Your Favorite Shoes? It's a toss up between my Born wedges and my brown heels

3. Do you own a gun? Nope

4. Your favorite song? It really depends on my mood but right now I really love Sondre Lerche's cover of Human Hands.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not really, unless I know something is wrong so then it would be dread more than nerves.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I'm pretty wary of them but I'll eat them if they are barbecued or cooked over a fire. I like to eat them with mustard. I also like hot dogs made of recognizable meat like Nathan's or Hebrew National.

7. Favorite Christmas song? I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day but Good King Wenceslas makes me giggle when I hear it.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water, and lots of it. In the winter I like to drink herbal tea on my way to school.

9. Can you do push ups? Yes but not well.

10. Are you afraid of flying? Not especially. Maybe I'd develop a fear if I did it more.

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My sun necklace that I have had forever or my glow in the dark CTR ring (honestly.)

12. Favorite hobby? Making awesome stencils of famous people.

13. Animals: love them or hate them? I like them from a distance.

14. Do you have ADD? I think when I was younger I had selective attentiveness. I would only pay attention during subjects I really enjoyed.

15. What do you hate about yourself? My tendency to focus on the negative about myself.

16. What is your middle name? Anne

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: "Man, these pink grapefruit Tic Tacs are good," "I should be in bed right now" and "I really love my wacky playlist on my blog."

18. What's your favorite number? 4

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, Vanilla soy milk, and more water.

20. Current worry right now? Am I going to be single forever?/ Is 26 really that old?

21. Current hate right now? No air conditioning in the costume shop

22. Favorite place to be? Kaysville, pedaling around on a bike.

23. How did you ring in the New Year? At my parent's house, packing for grad school.

24. Where would you like to go? Pretty much anywhere I've learned about in Art History that houses incredible art.

25. Name three people who will complete this? I'm actually surprised that I completed it.

26. Do you own slippers? Yes and they are awesome.

27. What shirt are you wearing? My light blue Elvis Costello shirt.

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I haven't ever but I don't like the connotation. I prefer cotton or jersey knit.

29. Can you whistle? Not very well.

30. Favorite color? Shades of orange and green but not together.

31. Would you be a pirate? Probably not. The "Arrrrs" would just remind me of Lariann and then I would be sad.

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? I used to sing along to my iPod but I don't want to scare my roommates.

33. Favorite girl's name? Mina

34. Favorite boy's name? Theo

35. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing, I rarely carry things in my pockets.

36. Last thing that made you laugh? When I was trying to limbo with some of my friends at FHE.

37. Best bed sheets as a child? My jersey knit star sheets.

38. Worst injury you've ever had? I bruised my toe nail and then it fell off. It was a ballet injury.

39. How many TVs do you have in your house? 5 (I live in my roommate's grandparent's home)

40. Who is your loudest friend? Emily Albretsen, of course!

41. How many dogs do you have? NONE! But my parents have a dog, Klondike.

42. Does someone have a crush on you? Not that I know of. However, if anyone has information I would appreciate it!

43. Favorite Book? The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl but I am also very fond of the Harry Potter series. Very fond.

44. Partying hard or Laying low? A bit of partying and a little more laying low.

45. What is your favorite candy? M&Ms! I also loved a weird Danish candy called Delfa Rolls. They tasted like a combination of red licorice and raspberry fruit roll ups. I don't think Delfa Rolls exist anymore.

46. Favorite Sports team? I don't really have any loyalties in the sporting world.

47.What were you doing 12 AM last night? Asleep

48. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Oh crap! I slept through my exercise time!

49. If you are married, where did you meet your WIFE/HUSBAND? This hasn't happened yet but I hope it is a fantastic story that takes fifteen minutes to tell.

They put the "Fun" in Funeral

I watched quite a bit of the Michael Jackson memorial service today at work and then at home. It was a very interesting and sometimes touching (in an emotional way, back off the inappropriate jokes, he's dead.) The following are my favorite moments for various reasons.

Moment #1: Mariah Carey's amazing mono-bang. That thing did not move despite her finger and hand wagging. Not only did it not move but it looked like you could still run your fingers through it. A tip of my hat to you, Mariah Carey.

Moment #2: LaToya Jackson's ginormous face obscuring hat. That thing is HUGE! Atleast Janet wore a hat that still showed her face (although she did cover it with massive Victoria Beckham glasses.)
Moment #3: Jennifer Hudson announcing her pregnancy by wearing a white, empire waisted dress. You can't tell me she's not pregnant, she totally is! Hang on, let's ask someone to confirm...
Usher, what do you think?
Yep, pregnant. Note to self: if I am ever going to hide a pregnancy I need to remember to NOT stand next to Usher in a picture.

Moment #4: Corey Feldman's...uh, outfit?
Dude, this is like showing up to a wedding dressed like a bride. It's just weird. The Jackson brothers had a much better way of honoring their brother:
See the subtle sequined gloves? That's classy. A military-esque jacket with a fedora and shades? Not so much.

Moment #5... Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of Al Sharpton at the end of the service while everyone was singing "Heal the World." Fortunately, I found it on the blessed youtube. Fast forward to 4:35. It is really great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVixrey9Gyg
I feel for you, Rev. Sharpton, if I was in that situation I'd look just as awkward.


I wasn't really a Michael Jackson fan but he was one heck of a talented singer and dancer. And, when his daughter said what a great father he was, I cried. I'm sensitive like that.

Do you ever?

Do you ever find yourself feeling a bit like this boy:

You know the type: well-meaning, awkward, weird, and prone to singing along to songs while wearing headphones or while just sitting at a desk. Sometimes I feel like Marcus although usually without the spontaneous singing. Oh, and the bizarre bowl/acorn haircut (poor kid.) The awkward and weird yet well-meaning bits seem to fit all too well.
Take for example tonight's adventure at FHE. I had been feeling pretty cool with my blonde streak in my hair and my strappy sandals (no flip flops for this lummox.) Even though we played ultimate frisbee I did pretty well. I threw some successful throws, I caught several tosses, and I didn't fall an embarrassingly large amount of the time. I feeling pretty good. Until, however, I tried to talk to a guy I was interested in. It was like cool grad student with the blonde streak was abducted and replaced by my seventh grade self, the one with the "He-Man" haircut. The one who gets tongue tied, the one who tried so hard to fit in, the one who wore sweater vests over tee shirt with shorts and Doc Marten mary-janes(I wish I had a picture to prove it.) Awkward should be my middle name, not Anne. I wouldn't even need to change my initals.

I have a "condition"

Ever since 9th grade I have struggled with a condition that has brought frustration and some teasing by my sisters. Okay, a lot of teasing. I can't walk in shoes that do not have backs. Once I tried to walk to school in my Mom's clogs but it didn't work. I'm sure Hilary would love to tell you about how funny I looked as I struggled to walk. I know what you are thinking, "Didn't you used to dance? Didn't you dance on your toes?" Yes, I did dance on my toes at one point but dancing on one's toes is totally different than walking in shoes that have no backs.

This ailment usually doesn't bother me 3/4 of the time, it's just in the summer time. Do you know how hard it is to find sandals that have back straps? How about sandals with back straps that are cute? Luckily I found a pair at Ross for $10! They look sort of like this (only lighter brown, with silver studs dotting the straps)

Here is my question: Where can I find inexpensive sandals that are comfortable AND have back straps?






While I'm discussing sandals I'm going to reveal my severe dislike for flip flops. They aren't real shoes, people. They are fantastic for the beach. They are ideal for going to the pool. They are dead useful for wearing while showering in a dodgey bathroom. They are not real shoes. They should not be worn in the winter time. They should not be worn to church. They should not be worn by people who can't manage to walk in shoes without backs. Own up to it and stop the slack slapping that goes on when you shuffle along in your foam and plastic "footwear."

Thank you, and have a nice day.

Blah

It has been a wet couple of days. I don't mind the rain, I'm actually kind of fond of it. This, I am not fond of:
















All in all, it makes me feel like this:











Blah. That is what this picture sums up, blah.
I hope spring finds its way here soon.
It's almost finals week, I can hardly believe it.

Why ABC, why??? and What is wrong with this?

First, it was Pushing Daisies and now, it's Life on Mars. Two fantastic shows that were cancelled. I just watched last night's episode and it was FANTASTIC! The storyline has really veered from the original British plot but it works. In the original series Sam Tyler was hit by a car and while he was in a coma in 2006, but he was living in 1973. At the end of series two, Sam woke up and then jumped off a building, an act that sent him back to 1973 but really just killed him. In the American version Sam isn't in a coma (or so the information in TV Guide states) and the "solution" is totally different. I don't know what it is but I'm excited to see how it ends next week.

Maybe it is a good thing that it was cancelled. The writers had almost exhausted the two season series of source material and why not end it on a high note? I'm just trying to look on the bright side, I guess. It's a bit like the Beatles. They broke up before their music got horrible. I also think that being "older" isn't so bad. My life is relatively drama-free, I don't have any attachments to high school, I can communicate with members of the opposite sex, and I can rent a car (I haven't done it yet but I could!) There is also a sense of independence that I feel I have now as opposed to five or six years ago when I was petrified to do things on my own. I do have a slight fear that I will grow too fond of my independence someday. Hopefully that won't happen.

What does it mean to be "too accomplished" or "intimidating" or "too independent?" I've heard these words thrown around quite a bit lately, sometimes in connection with me. Just because I have a bachelors degree, I served a mission, and I am a graduate student; I have become a scary, accomplished, intimidating, and independant person? How does that disqualifiy me in the dating scene? If anything, I think those would be positive qualities! Heck, here are some more, just for good measure:

1. I have no student debt. I have no credit card debt. I am currently a paying off my car.
2. I can cook. Just yesterday my roommate's home teachers walked in and said, "Wow, it smells good." I can also bake.
3. I have a vast knowledge of things both useful and non-useful.
4. I love trying new food.
5. I like adventure movies more than romantic comedies.
6. I am clean---my room is clean, my interests are clean and my record is clean.
7. I have ambition.
8. I believe that church is a priority.
9. I can carry on an intelligent conversation (thanks in large part to #3 on this list.)
10. I have opinions. There are few things worse than people who have no set opinions. These are people who usually "just listen to the radio" or like to do "whatever."

Hopefully this list will be useful for anyone who might be frightened of RM grad students. Just a heads up.

Just call me Pollyanna

Some reasons why I feel like I have a good life:

1. I have a ridiculously cute niece who just learned how to laugh.
2. My family is fantastically great. Even though we don't get along all the time, I love them.
3. Despite the scariness of it, I'm attending graduate school.
4. Graduate Assistantships.
5. I have this odd tendancy to try things like book binding, pie making, and quilting, despite not really having any training or a clue.
6. I have good friends.
7. I have faith in God and His plan.
8. My taste in music doesn't suck. (this could be up for debate but I know what I like.)
9. I have figured out how to be thrifty.
10. I love cooking and baking. Now I just need to learn how to love running.
11. I'm feeling pretty okay with my looks, my eyebrows and hair don't match but it's fine.

I am currently in the middle of Spring Break. I decided to go home to my parent's house which I doubted at first. These doubts were swept away when I saw the weather report for Logan, two feet in some areas? No, thank you!

I just wrote a short play

Unlike many of my post titles this one isn't just an odd combination of words or a song lyric. This one is REAL! While I am proud of myself for finishing the project I have no illusions of becoming a playwright or ever writing another play (unless called upon to write one as an assignment, again.) This experience has reminded me of two other projects that I completed last year that were in an unfamiliar media. I wrote poetry last year. I'm not a poet, I don't claim to be one nor do I profess any expertise in the field. I was just fulfilling an assignment. Ironically the easiest project was probably the first poetry assignment where I was supposed to write two poems in French. How weird is that? I can't speak French, much less compose a poem of some quality. The second poetry assignment was really uncomfortable because

1) I didn't have a foreign language to hide behind


2) I had to write about myself


3) I had to wade through some old memories of some awkward moments.


Okay, who am I kidding? I have awkward moments just about everyday! You would think I would be used to it by now!

Actually, one of my most recent awkward moments involved getting my car jumped. Apparently the radio doesn't automatically shut off if it has been turned on when the car is off (even if the volume is off). Stretch that out for three days and voila! you have a worn out battery. All is well now.

Tessie, pre-accident and pre license plates days. I really love my car.

And on one final random point, does anyone else think there could be such a thing as store induced amnesia? Case in point, I went to Wal-Mart today and I could not remember for the life of me what I was going to buy. It was like the low prices and big box atmosphere had sucked my shopping list from my brain. It was ridiculous! I am SO making a list next month.

Four days down, one more to go

I just read two plays this evening after dinner. I watched an episode of 30 Rock. I am tired.
I have very nearly survived my first week of grad school.

Desert Island Discs

My friend Scott tagged me and gave me the following instructions:

This is an idea I got from my friend Dave. The basic idea as he puts it is "what albums would you want if you were stranded on a desert island that just happens to have a stereo and electricity but still no way to contact anyone for help".

There are a few rules that he decided to make:

• Only one album from each artist (forcing you to make some tough choices).
• No greatest hits or compilations of any kind (that would be cheating).
• Limit the list to 10.
• Ignore the iPod factor since it essentially makes this list obsolete. It's not about the technology anyway, it's about the music! Plus "Desert Island Discs" sounds a lot snappier than "Desert Island Playlist."

This has been REALLY hard for me because I love music. Here it goes, with great difficulty.

10. I figured it would be easiest to pick something for Sunday first. This CD was a favorite before my mission and my friend Kari gave it to me for my birthday. It is a good mix of songs and I love almost every track of this CD. Plus it reminds me of my mission and that is usually good.




9. Kind of in the same vein as the MoTab, my favorite classical album. Technically this is a compilation but I think it can be an exception because Camille Saint-Saens SO did not make albums as we know now. I adore the piano concerto #4 on the second disc and when you pair that with the Danse Macabre and carnival of the animals on disc one and you've got it made!



8. This is my absolute favorite No Doubt album. Unfortunately this is about where things started to get difficult. Seriously, only ten albums?


7. I bought this album last year and thought,"Where have you been all of my life???" I listened to it solidly for about, oh, a month. It was sort of out of control. I think everyone needs a little New York with a shot of London on every desert island. Plus, Lou Reed, David Bowie, and Mick Ronson? Classic.


6. Sondre Lerche is probably my favorite singer of today (as opposed to what, of the future?) He's from Norway and he is sort of random. Although I love all of his albums, this one won for the following reasons:
-A great combination of "rainy day songs," old school crooning, and covers of songs by Elvis Costello AND Cole Porter. It is quite a trick.


5. Choosing between Bowie albums was harder than choosing between Beatles albums ONLY because Bowie has a more albums (and styles) to choose from. I chose this one because it is the only Bowie album that I can listen to all the way through without skipping songs. I almost chose "Live at Santa Monica" but it is technically a compilation. "Station to Station" is great because it's Bowie at his best (even though he was probably on cocaine for most of it.) Any how, as far as personas go you don't get any cooler than The Thin White Duke.


4. This album makes me sad because it was the Beatle's last one recorded ('Let It Be' was released later even though it was recorded before.) I love this album even though it marks the end of the Beatles. "Carry That Weight" into "The End" could almost bring me to tears, depending on my mood and the time of the month.


3. I have to have The Clash on my desert island. I chose this based on the ratio of fantastic songs to not so fantastic songs. Even though there are two songs that I never listen to (they did some f-bombing) I don't think I could be angry without "Career Opportunities" to help vent some of that.


2. I just couldn't have only one Beatles album on here. I just couldn't do it. This one has too many fantastic songs; "If I Fell," "Things We Said Today," and "I'll Be Back."


1. Flight of the Conchords. Just in case the desert island isn't a funny place. These guys are hilarious.












The runners up:









This wasn't even the tip of the iceburg. I hate choosing.

Although I don't hate choosing when it comes to voting! I'm so excited that Barack Obama was elected!

A word (or several) about my playlist

After a very frustrating 20 minutes I finally figured out how to add my playlist to my blog. I decided to set it on random because I don't want to put the songs in a cohesive order and because it's sort of long. Anyhoo. A good deal of the songs on here are from the eighties. I watched a show this summer called "Ashes to Ashes" and almost all of the eighties songs on here are from the show. It's freakin' awesome. If a whole flock of seventies songs appears on the playlist it's probably from "Life On Mars." It's another show that is really fantastic. Other than that, I just put songs on the list that I enjoyed.
Enjoy!

Here are some pictures from Hilary's baby shower at our house. I know she's pregnant but she really doesn't look it yet. This is a picture of Josh's grandma, his aunt, and me. I served with Josh's grandma in New York. She and her husband served in Batavia and I ended my mission there. Convienent.
Just think this picture is funny. Hilary still looks great.

I recieved my scores for the Millers Analogies Test this week. My scaled score was 440. I scored in the 84 percentile for my intended major and I scored in the 94 percentile for my total group. I still don't really know what it means exactly but I do know the following things:

• My scores don't suck.
• I am going to Utah State in January, they have a spot for me and everything.
• According to wikipedia (that bastian of knowledge) to join Mensa you need to score in the 95 percentile. I'm not really convinced. It did give me something to laugh about for a little bit.

One last thing:

Jordan is going to be home next Saturday. It's crazy!