Help!

NaBloPoMo is coming up again! I had a lot of fun with it last year. November 2007 was also when I officially started using song lyrics as post titles. I've made an effort to never repeat a song, and so far so good. However, my fellow NaBloPoMo-er, Eilonwy, challenged me to use the same song for a month.

She issued this challenge weeks ago and I just can't come with a good song! So, here's where I turn to you! I need song suggestions. Songs that have some versatility and variety, so I can have 30 days of post titles. I have until Saturday to decide, so please don't be shy!

And, for fun, here's what I'm wearing today. (I apologize for the MySpace-bathroom-mirror-cell-phone-ness of it all.)

Cuidado

The cuticle on my right hand pinkie finger tore last night. It didn't bleed much (fingers rarely do), but the skin newly exposed to the elements was quite tender, so I put a band-aid on it. The band-aid remained on today, but it's not a life threatening injury or anything and my finger didn't lose any functionality.

Still, I favored my finger today. Even now, without the band-aid, I'm holding my pinkie finger as far away from the rest of hand as possible. I held it out when shifting gears in my car and a zillion other things I needed my hands for today. In my head, I know that my finger is totally and completely fine, but subconsciously, I seem to be afraid of it shattering or something at the slightest touch.

It's ridiculous, and I'm totally amused.

I've seen that smile somewhere before

So, New Kids on the Block are back. We've discussed this before. I also mentioned that Jordan Knight looks a lot like a bishop I had when I was a young teenager. It's still driving me crazy!

Look:

Jordan Knight

Bishop Packard

Is that weird or what? Consequently, I now associate the personality of Bishop Packard with Jordan Knight. I just assume Jordan is exactly like him - family man, friendly, fun, always smiling. I happen to know (thank you Wikipedia) that Jordan is a family man, but when I see him acting like a ladies man in his videos, it just doesn't jive.

Oh yeah. I watch the videos. I listen to the music. I like it and I don't care who knows.

No day but today

Laylabean suggested we blog about a day in the life. Here's my Wednesday, October 15, 2008.

4:21 AM - Wake up suddenly, need to use facilities and get a drink.

4:30 AM - Lie awake for the next twenty minutes wondering why in the world I was dreaming about Muppets and suing people and being sent the wrong movies from Netflix. Decide I should probably stop watching lawyer dramedies before bed. Still no reason for the other two.

7:00 AM - Alarm goes off

8:24 AM - I actually get out of bed. Decide that dreaming about Muppets is much more pleasant than dreaming about torture and walks for random causes. Shower, makeup, hair, dress, make lunch.

9:14 AM - Leave for work. Listen to Fall Out Boy and Shakira on the way.

9:40 AM - Arrive at work. Check email, news, some blogs. Start daily IMing with Fran.

10:00 AM - Make Gingerbread Spice tea.

10:15 AM - Start planning my workday.

10:40 AM - Blindsided by a text message. Details not important, but it was unexpected.

11:00 AM - Back to work. Find the checkout forms the teacher accidentally put back in their boxes and sort them.

11:44 AM - This song comes up on Pandora. I fall in love with it again. I find it on YouTube, make it a favorite, and listen to it intermittently throughout the rest of the day. Very fitting. Wish I was that talented on the piano so I could sing it myself.

12:14 AM - Sorted through the music on the east counter. Wrote (in pen!) on some of it and threw even more of it away!

1:06 PM - Eat lunch (turkey sandwich, string cheese, carrots) whilst watching "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" on Hulu. The carrots taste funny.

1:44 PM - Check mail that was delivered whilst I was eating. Check-in returns.

2:00 PM - Investigate The Golden Key International Honour Society, that I received an invitation to join, by virtue of being in the top 15% of my class.

2:13 PM - Remain officially undecided about joining, but am honored by receiving the invitation to do so. GKIHS is a member of the ACHS, so it seems they are on the up and up.

2:17 PM - In deciding a title for this post, realize I've used a lot of songs from the musical "Rent". Today is no exception.

2:20 PM - Settle in for an afternoon of cataloging.

2:30 PM - Call from sister.

2:35 PM - Download The Second Summer of the Sisterhood audiobook to listen to during cataloging.

3:25 PM - Visit from the same friend as the aforementioned text message. Stressful conversation.

3:30 PM - Orchestra teacher comes to browse the library. Friend leaves.

4:00 PM - Teacher leaves, having checked out some music. Remind myself that next Wednesday won't suck and that some good will come out of me being such a goody two-shoes. Back to cataloging. Or reading blogs that Fran and Eilonwy keep sending me.

4:55 PM - Practice the piano.

5:15 PM - Lock up and head home. Call Mom for daily chat about nothing in particular, but she's on a deadline at work, so it's very short. Try to go to the carwash, but forget (as usual) that it's a left on Maple, not a right. Side street U-turn and discover the place is closed anyway (what is up with that?). Get stuck in traffic I could have avoided if I'd known.

6:15 PM - Arrive at home. Do nothing of any importance.

7:20 PM - Gas up car and spend only $30!! Go to grocery store. Forget why I'm there and buy several things I think I need and a few I know I don't. Forget to buy bread (this was realized today). Pick up dinner at Jerry's Subs & Pizza. Mmmm. Cheesesteak.

8:10 PM - Arrive at home, throw perishables in fridge and make roommates rewind Pushing Daisies (thank you TiVo). Watch whilst eating. Almost choke from laughing so hard.

9:00 PM - Watch Project Runway, accompanied by a bowl of ice cream and talking with the roommates (we don't care about anything but the final collections). Our favorite wins!

10:00 PM - Head upstairs, intending to go to bed. Surf the web, brush teeth, dawdle. Computer is slow, which slows up the process.

11:00 PM - Read scriptures and journal. Apparently I have a lot of thoughts to write down because I'm still journaling when at

12:10 AM - Eilonwy IMs me to look at pictures of her brain. Didn't even know I was still online. Realize I missed an IM from my sister about 30 minutes earlier. Chat with both of them for a few minutes. Finish journaling.

12:30 AM - Lights out. So much for going to bed early.

What does it mean? What does it MEAN!?

Over two years ago, when I was still living in Orem, UT, one of my best friends and I discovered a necklace hanging on his front doorknob. When it was still there a couple days later, he told me to just take it. So I did and I still wear it often. The necklace is a black cord with a Chinese character as the charm.


I'm fond of the Asian culture and have a vaguely Asian decorating motif in my house now, so it's fitting. The only problem? I had no idea what it meant. I was asked by someone one in every four times that I wore it and I never knew the answer.

Until yesterday!

I was talking to couple of friends at church, wearing the necklace, and one of them randomly pointed to my neck and said "What's with mouse?" Suddenly remembering that he spoke Chinese I answered "Oh! Is that what it means!?!?" He replied, "You didn't know? I thought maybe it had some significance like you were born in the year of the mouse or something." "No! I mean I didn't know, but yes! I was born in the year of the rat, or mouse! Or whatever. THANK YOU!" I threw my arms around his neck and thanked him profusely.

Totally made my day.

As time goes by

I finally watched Casablanca tonight. 2.5 years after buying it. I've mentioned that I hadn't here, somewhere, a time or two, so I thought y'all should know. Great movie.

Running just as fast as we can

Monday, I was told by my doctor to stop running. Forever.

I'm not so excited about that. I'm not the best at running. I'm slow and I don't do it as often as I should, but I love it when I do it. I always feel like I've accomplishing something significant and my endorphins run high. I'm especially addicted to racing, though only against myself. I love knowing that by some degree, I beat my previous time. I really dig that it doesn't involve any equipment. I need clothes and my ankle braces, and preferrably my iPod, but that's it. There's something powerful about traveling somewhere using only your own energy and body.

When I told the doctor that's what I do, he winced. Literally. Then he proceeded to tell me that the AMA is now recommending against running. It's too high impact. He brought it up a couple of times throughout my visit, and suggested that I take up biking or swimming instead. With my history of ankle problems, he may be right. I kind of want my ankles to work for me as long as possible.

Swimming recreationally is great fun and is something I've enjoyed for as long as I can remember. However, swimming laps gets boring after awhile, since I don't feel like I'm going anywhere. This is quite likely because, oh I don't know, I'm not! Also, if I were to use my iPod, I would need to get a waterproof case, which I have yet to invest in.

Biking is great and all, and I do enjoy it. Unfortunately, my bike is need of repair AND is in Utah. If I were to get a new one, I have no idea what I'm looking for. Plus, they aren't exactly cheap. I also don't know where I would store it. I've been thinking about getting one for quite awhile though, so maybe it's finally time.

Ideally? I'd be dancing. Every day. If I had time, I would be. I miss it like crazy.

As for running, I have a race scheduled for the 25th. I'm taking it easy right now because of the accident, but once I feel better, I'm thinking of not following my doctor's orders until I've finished the race. I don't know though. Input on any of this is welcome.

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans

Ever have one of those days where you end up experiencing the exact opposite of what you expected? I've had one of those weeks.

As most of you know, I love being a member of Mormon Choir of Washington. However, I was beginning to wonder if it was becoming too much and maybe I should next semester off. Then, last Tuesday, I was asked to be the section leader for the second sopranos. After praying and pondering, I accepted earlier this evening. So, instead of no choir responsibility, I now have more than I did, the opposite of what was planned.

I'm the FHE co-chair for my FHE group. Because I have class on Monday nights, my counterpart and I have planned all of our activities through the end of December. So, when we were informed Wednesday of a request that was made of us by our bishop on Sunday for this evening's activity, it threw us for a loop. We scrambled the rest of the week to put it together. I didn't make it until late (reasons below), and I don't know what happened, but apparently the activity still fell apart. A failed, thrown together activity is the exact opposite of a well-planned, much anticipated one.

Then, of course, there's the idea that every commute to work is going to be uneventful. There may be traffic, but that can be planned for. Getting rear-ended was the exact opposite of what I intended. My pretty, pretty car now has a scratch on the rear bumper, and hopefully that's all. We exchanged information and moved on with life. I was shaken and annoyed, but alright overall. The sign at the body shop in the building next to my office said it was open until 6, but when I arrived at 5:30, it was closed. I'll try again tomorrow.

Unfortunately, my back kept getting more and more sore throughout the day. At my dad's insistence, I decided to visit the doctor and get checked out. My piano teacher overheard me make arrangements to miss class and FHE and suggested I visit the Urgent Care in the same parking lot, instead of waiting for hours at the ER.

Had it been any other 30 minutes of my week than the 30 minutes I see her, I would have been stuck for hours. I consider it a blessing and that I was being watched out for. There were no other patients, so I went right in. Urine sample, vitals, reflex check, and some six x-rays, I was told that 1) I was fine, just some muscle pain and 2) to stop running. I'll explain my feelings about that in a future post. I was told to take Advil and given a doctor's note to miss work tomorrow if I don't feel up to it.

So, I'm good. Insurance and everything will still have to straightened out, but at least I and my car are okay. That's life. Always keeps things interesting.

I'm sick of your quirks

Nancy posted a blog that challenges the blogger (that would be me) to disclose 6 "unspectacular" quirks about yourself. Tag yourself to do the same, if you so choose.

As for me:

1) I shower from head to toe. I may omit certain steps (like I may not shave or wash my hair everyday), but basically it goes something like this - Wash hair, condition hair whilst - wash face, shave, soap top to bottom. I also dry top to bottom. If I start to do something out of order, I've been known to rinse off my hands and go back to whatever step I was about to skip.

2) I dress from bottom to top. Obviously, underwear goes on before outerwear, but I dress to the point that if whatever I'm tucking in goes on before whatever I'm tucking it into. Socks before pants, etc. Even if I have to readjust my slip after putting on my skirt, the slip goes on first. If I'm really on top of things, I lay out my clothes the night before in the order I'll put them on the next day.

3) I almost never wear my hair the same two days in a row. I love to do different things, and I've been known to plan my hair out a week in advance. I make up hairstyles all the time. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Still, I love my hair.

4) I love looking stuff up for fun. I love a good Google challenge, and might look something up for you even if you don't ask. This quirk brought me the nickname Oracle just yesterday. I like it.

5) I save my library blog reading in Google Reader for when I'm at work. It's related, right?

6) I have a thing for guys with shortish, well-maintained ponytails. It's not a dealbreaker if they don't have one, but they're nice. At the very least, I really like a guy with a thick, full head of hair. I've gone out with guys with little to no hair, and I much prefer the alternative, though it's definitely not the most important thing. There's a guy I see on a weekly basis at choir, whom I don't know, but for the longest time he wore glasses that were out of style, a mustache, and shaggy hair. One week, he came to choir without the mustache, new, fashionable glasses, and his hair in a ponytail. I tried to convince myself that my sudden attraction wasn't just the ponytail, but also the glasses and lack of mustache, but when he came the next week with his hair buzzed, I wasn't as attracted as I had been. He still looked better than he had, but it wasn't the same.

What are some of your quirks?