You can't take the sky from me

NPR published a list of the top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy books.  It was based on 60,000 votes from NPR users. 


How many have you read?


1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert

5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin

6. 1984, by George Orwell

7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov

9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan

13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson

15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore

16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov

17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein

18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss

19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick

22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King

24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke

25. The Stand, by Stephen King

26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson

27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman

30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein

32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams

33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey

34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein

35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller

36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne

38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys

39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells

40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny

41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings

42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson

44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven

45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin

46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien

47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White

48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke

50. Contact, by Carl Sagan

51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons

52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson

54. World War Z, by Max Brooks

55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman

57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett

58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson

59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold

60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett

61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind

63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson

66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist

67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks

68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard

69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb

70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne

73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore

74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi

75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson

76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke

77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey

78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin

79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson

82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde

83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks

84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart

85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson

86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher

87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe

88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn

89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan

90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock

91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury

92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley

93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge

94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov

95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson

96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle

97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis

98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville

99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony

100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis

17 out of 100 isn't . . . terrible.  I'm sad that the Redwall series by Brian Jacques didn't even make the list, and I'm not sure that sci-fi and fantasy, while very closely related, should even be on one list. Oh well.

Your turn!

Here's Theater Geek's list.

He's got the whole world in his hands

I've recently been teased for having a bag so big I couldn't find my keys (guilty) and both Laylabean and Bridget have asked "What's in your purse?", so I decided to play along.  Here's what was in my purse yesterday.

Glasses case (Brown case - for regular glasses that currently in my bathroom, black case for computer glasses that are currently on my face)
Orthotics (So I could wear them with my "custard shoes" that live at work)
Bike gloves (I use them as my weightlifting gloves)
Oil absorbing sheets
Checkbook
Socks (Also so I could wear them with my "custard shoes")
Travel toothbrush
Toothpaste
Sunglasses (Not the pair I like, which are in the car)
Earbuds
Lock
Change purse
Wallet
Paycheck
Stub from said paycheck
Envelope for said paycheck
Gym card
Two lipsticks (same color, natch)
Nail buffer
Nail polish
Eyedrops
Church program (at least it was from this most recent Sunday)
Exercise band (I've won three of these from school district's fitness competition, don't know that I need three)
Lipbalm
"Thor" ticket stub
Used tissues (gross)
iPod arm band
Nail clippers
Three pens
Grocery receipt
$4 (not in my wallet)
77 cents (not in my change purse)


Fortunately, I've now thrown away the garbage, put the dinero in their respective carrying cases, and the socks and orthotics are at home, since I don't work at the custard shop until Saturday.


Still, maybe it's time to downsize again.


Oh, and my keys are not in my purse. At least this time.


What's in your bag/purse?

Don't got much baggage to lay at your feet

The Twitter meme today was #tweetyour16yearoldself. Several people talked about regrets like "dont chase after dude. he's not worth it." or "Also, that bleach isn't going to work and your blue hair dye's going to come out black. Just so you know." Loads of women reminded their younger selves that they weren't fat, ugly, or otherwise unattractive. And a lot of people encouraged their 16-year-old selves by one way or another that "It gets better."

But try as I might, I couldn't think of a single thing I felt the need to tell myself from 10 years ago, because, you know what? I LIKED being 16. No, scratch that, I LOVED being 16.

16 was a good year. 17 wasn't my favorite, but 16 was pretty much the awesome.

I had great friends that year.

I had a pager.

I loved my classes (Geology, Spanish AP, Acapella choir, US History AP, Calculus AB AP, Dance, English [okay I actually hated my English class but two years later I would fall in love with the boy who sat behind me and we would date for a year], and Seminary).

I had a vehicle. The best baby blue 1985 Nissan standard transmission pick-up you ever did see.

I had my first kiss. At EFY, natch.

I had my first secret boyfriend, a senior even. Who I never kissed (until we dated again when I was in college). And was in a different state from for half of the three weeks we were "together."

I had a great little job with increasing responsibilities based on my excellent performance and it didn't involve food (except for the "secret" cabinet I had access to after my promotion).

I had my second kiss, with a boy 4 years my senior. It took me by surprise and I told him to take a hike within a week.

Yes, I had braces, and the secret boyfriend broke up with me and that sucked, and sometimes I had to keep my truck's doors closed with bungee cords, but it was all worth it. As @thebookpolice said, "I get the IDEA of #tweetyour16yearoldself, but guys, how unhappy *are* you? You wouldn't be who you are now without the crap you endured."

But if there was something I would want to myself then, or any 16 year old, or hey, ANYONE. It would be this (warning: there is a swear):


Anything you'd want to tell your 16 year old self?

In your apartment

A few weeks ago, Laylabean posted this fun little photo meme. I wasn't doing anything of any note at the time, so I grabbed my camera and was all ready to take pictures when I discovered that my camera batteries were dead and it was too dark to take pictures with my phone.

It took me a week to remember to charge them in time for the airshow.

Then I couldn't find my camera cord (still haven't, because I haven't worked on my office boxes for a while).

So, finally, I remembered to take pictures in the daylight with my phone, and now you'll get a little preview of the apartment that is slowly coming together.

Here’s how it goes…

Grab your camera and take pictures of the following five things the way they are right now. No adjusting, cleaning, or cheating allowed! (I cheated, obviously. Sorry.)

1. Your front door

2. Your bed

3. Your toothbrush

4. The dishes you use most often (you can stage this one)

5. Freebie - your choice.

Then post them to your blog, on Facebook, to Flickr, whatever…somewhere we can all see them. Don’t forget to put a link in my comments so we can find you.

And so we have:

1. My front door - Technically, my front door is the garage door, but that's boring. See how my keys are dangling from the door? I was just about to walk in before I remembered to take this picture.

2. My bed - It's on top of my dresser and some cinder blocks and precariously close to the ceiling. But I haven't fallen yet. Mr. T didn't either when he first made it for me, as far as I know.

3. My toothbrush - Eilonwy has the same one.

4. The dishes I use most - Sorry this is so blurry. Oops.

5. My bookcase! Is pretty. This picture doesn't exactly do it justice. Thank you for all of your votes and ideas that I promptly discarded.

Your turn!

Irrefutable, indisputable fact is

There's this crazy fad going around on Facebook right now - to list 25 Random Facts about yourself. Slate, The New York Times, and The Washington Post all have articles about it. Eilonwy did it. Fran is doing a version of it. A former coworker used hers to announce the plans she and her husband have to adopt.

I might as well. Besides, it's about all my brain can handle after reading 200+ pages of research articles today.

1. This week, whilst driving in my car, the music I've been listening to has been either to Top 40, country, or Brechtian punk caberet. The two weeks prior were pretty much devoted to R&B.
2. I can't study in silence. My mind wanders way too easily.
3. I have to color in my eyebrows. This is currently achieved with an eyebrow brush and eyeshadow.
4. I have over 70 pairs of shoes. Approximately 10 of those pairs are dance shoes.
   
5. I walked barefoot outside today.
6. I keep certain articles of clothing simply because I know they might come in handy for a costume someday.
7. I wear up to three different pairs of glasses in any given day - my reading glasses, sunglasses, and regular glasses. I actually have no idea where my sunglasses are right now.
8. I constantly wear a butterfly ring that Fran gave me on my left middle finger.
   
9. I collect butterfly and heart shaped jewelry.
10. I own a broadsword.
11. And a holder to display it on a wall.
12. I will actually display it someday.
13. I have worn a splint, brace, and/or cast on each of my limbs.
14. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 17.
15. The job I had immediately before my current job was piercing other people's ears.
    
16. I do not think babies should get their ears pierced.
    
17. I have spent pretty much this entire day on my bed, despite the fact that I have two chairs in my room.
18. I have both custom fit vampire teeth and mouse teeth in my theatre makeup kit.
19. Ever since I started using my iPhone, I've wondered why some people don't respond to email as quickly as I do. Yes, I know this is ridiculous.
20. I love hearing people say my name.
21. My favorite number is 47, because it's the number of letters in the longest word in the English language.
22. I keep my house and office keys seperate from my car keys.
23. I graduate in 6 months and 15 days.
24. I've been really cranky about the cold weather this year.
25. I turn 25 on May 25th.

And that's 25 things you probably never planned on learning about me, or aren't surprised at all to learn.

Oh I believe in yesterday

Since 2008 was the first full year of The Book Guardian, I thought this meme from Chosha would be fun.

The rules for the meme: Take the first line from the first post of every month for the last year, and post them together as a kind of cross-section of what you were blogging about during the year. Remember to link to all the posts you are excerpting.

January - What an amazing trip! J'adore Paris!

Bragging about my trip to Paris. Man that was a good trip.

February - I almost posted this morning about why I'm so affected by the January blahs.

Then I remembered it was February, and February = happy times.

March - I've been singing all my life.

Oddly enough, a post about my life as a drummer.

April - I thought I'd never been to Florida before, and upon my arrival in Orlando, I remarked this to my mother.

I went to Florida, but didn't sleep in a dresser drawer. This time.

May - When I read a book, I always picture the action, the people, the settings, etc.

A discussion post that no one responded. Alas.

June - I apologize in retrospect for my recent silence and boring-ness.

Another post about yet another trip. This time to Utah. With tornadoes.

July - I feel like I'm singing constantly.

This one actually is about me singing. Sort of.

August - A little meme from Eilonwy.

Avoiding working on my term project.

September - I'm a planner.

Evidence that I am a Type A personality.

October - Nancy posted a blog that challenges the blogger (that would be me) to disclose 6 "unspectacular" quirks about yourself.

The hardest part of this post was finding a title.

November - My favorite, well, only, Australian reader, Chosha, suggested the song I will be pulling this month's blog titles from.

Hey! Chosha wins the most mentions in this post! And I post some good news.

December - I survived the trip home.

Yet another post about yet another trip. New York. And I don't like certain Christmas songs.

So that's 2008 in a nutshell. Music and travel. And a couple other things. I feel pretty good about it.

Wanderer

Earlier this year, I discussed cities I'd spent at least one night in during 2006 and 2007. I also discussed where I thought I'd stay this year. Let's see how my list held up.

2008 (Projected)

Where I Live Now, VA
Ft. Bragg, NC (maybe)
Orlando, FL
Corolla, NC
New York City, NY (maybe)
Orem, UT

2008 (Actual)

Lingfield, UK (since I didn't come home until late January 1)
Where I Live Now, VA
Morris Plains, NJ (on three different occasions)
Waynesboro, VA
Orlando, FL
Rockville, MD
Corolla, NC
Orem, UT (two different trips)
Logan, UT
Fayetteville, NC
Washington, DC
Queens-Astoria, NY

There was a lot more travel than I expected! Hopefully 2009 will be as exciting! I've thought up trips to Idaho, Egypt, and India, so those might happen. Nothing is set in stone yet, so stay tuned!

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.

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?

Oh, look what you've done

Thanks Theater Geek!

All you have to do is copy the list (after the jump) and bold the things that you have done.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (lemonade stands count, right?)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal or physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions (the joys of being in quality control)
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (didn’t know it was my dream, but I’m living it anyway)

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where at least four people asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child
114. Been inside the pyramids
115. Shot a basketball into a basket
116. Danced at a disco
117. Played in a band
118. Shot a bird
119. Gone to an arboretum
120. Tutored someone
121. Ridden a train
122. Brought an old fad back into style
123. Eaten caviar
124. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
125. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
126. Published a book
127. Pieced a quilt
128. Lived in a historic place
129. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
130. Asked for a raise
131. Made a hole-in-one (mini-golf counts, says I)
132. Gone deep sea fishing
133. Gone roller skating
134. Run a marathon
135. Learned to surf
136. Invented something
137. Flown first class
138. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
139. Flown in a helicopter
140. Visited Africa
141. Sang a solo
142. Gone spelunking
143. Learned how to take a compliment
144. Written a love-story
145. Seen Michelangelo’s David
146. Had your portrait painted (sketched, yes)
147. Written a fan letter
148. Spent the night in something haunted
149. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
150. Ran away from home (only temporarily)
151. Learned to juggle
152. Been a boss
153. Sat on a jury
154. Lied about your weight
155. Gone on a diet
156. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
157. Written a poem
158. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
159. Gotten food poisoning
160. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
161. Hiked the Grand Canyon
162. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
163. Gone to the opera
164. Gotten a letter from someone famous
165. Worn knickers
166. Ridden in a limousine
167. Attended the Olympics
168. Can hula or waltz
169. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
170. Been stuck in an elevator
171. Had a revelatory dream
172. Thought you might crash in an airplane
173. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
174. Saved someone’s life
175. Eaten raw whale
176. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
177. Laughed till your side hurt
178. Straddled the equator (Prime Meridian!)
179. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
180. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
181. Sent a message in a bottle
182. Spent the night in a hostel
183. Been a cashier
184. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
185. Joined a union
186. Donated blood or plasma
187. Built a camp fire
188. Kept a blog
189. Had hives
190. Worn custom made shoes or boots
191. Made a PowerPoint presentation
192. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
193. Served at a soup kitchen
194. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
195. Know CPR
196. Ridden in a convertible
197. Found a long lost friend
198. Helped solve a crime
199. Shaken hands with a famous person
200. Commented on The Book Guardian’s blog

The book I read was in your eyes

DISCLAIMER: This list, and the claims made by someone on behalf of the BBC may or may not be entirely accurate. But it was fun and has therefore spawned the following post.

A meme from Pezao:

The Big Read (apparently sponsored by the BBC) reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you love. (I'm skipping this one. The only one I didn't love that I read is #43.)
4) Place an asterisk (*) by those you've seen a movie or stage performance of (added by Pezao). If there are multiple *, I've seen both a film and a stage adaptation. (added by me)
5) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who’ve only read 6 and force books upon them.

1. The Lord of the Rings**, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice*, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy*, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird**, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh*, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens (I tried to read this in 9th grade and just couldn't get into it. I would like to try again, because I do loves me some Dickens.)
18. Little Women**, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell (I hated Scarlett O'Hara so much, I slapped the book. I'm not even kidding.)
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone*, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets*, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban*, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit*, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland*, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory*, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island*, Robert Louis Stevenson (I'm so counting that I've seen Muppet Treasure Island)
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion*, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma*, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables*, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby*, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo*, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol*, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden*, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha*, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (actually, this is my current book, as you can see on my sidebar)
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda*, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones’s Diary*, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House*, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes*, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries*, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie

You may notice I italicized everything I haven't read, except one. That's because I consider lists like this a challenge, and I would at some point, love to read all these books. When I was in high school and undergrad, I didn't read as voraciously as I did when I was a kid. I was just too busy, or so I thought. I didn't give up reading entirely, and I did miss it. When I graduated, I was so burned out that I only read a handful of books in the two years after.

Thanks to the 52 books - 52 weeks challenge from Eilonwy, I'm reading like I used to, 3 or 4 at a time. My goal this year is not to re-read anything, and I'm really trying not to start too many books at a time.

How am I doing? It's week 34 and I'm reading my 41st and 42nd books of the year. A lot of them have been audiobooks whilst I'm working, but that totally counts. You would think that my grad school schedule would not allow for so much outside reading, but I'm making time and reading at least a few chapters a night. I hope I'm not so burned out this time.

And no, I have no plans to read Midnight's Children. I acquired a copy four years ago, and tried to read it then. I got about halfway through and completely lost interest, and actually gave my copy to KT just last week.

Gosh I love books.

Next time won't you sing with me?

A little meme from Eilonwy. It's a lot more fun that working on my term project.

A is for age: 24. I like it so far.

B is for burger of choice: Five Guys Little Bacon Cheeseburger. So. Good.

C is for the car I drive: 2008 Honda Civic, navy blue, manual transmission. Still seems a little unreal, but 3000 miles in, I still love it.

D is for your dog’s name: Logan. He's pretty much the cutest thing ever. I miss him like crazy, and wish he could talk on the phone like the rest of my family.

E is for essential item you use every day: Clothes. I'm rather fond of them.

F is for favorite TV show at the moment: So You Think You Can Dance. This season, I knew two of the dancers. Chelsea Hightower was in my home ward, and Gev and I danced on a company together in Salt Lake City. I was rooting for them, but now I'm betting on Josh for the win.

G is for favorite game: Fluxx, or Cranium. I don't play games nearly as I would like. Anyone up for a game night?

H is for home state: Utah, though last time I was there, it seemed a little surreal.

I is for instruments you play: My voice is my favorite instrument. I also play the piano and percussion, and once upon time, I played the harp.

J is for favorite juice: Grape, or apple.

K is for whose bum you’d like to kick: The men who are not asking out any of the plethora of smart, beautiful women I know.

L is for last restaurant at which you ate: Buca di Beppo, with Smash, Reimsy, False Cathedrals, and several other fantastic women last week, in the Pope Room. Good times!

M is for your favorite Muppet: Kermit, for sure.

N is for number of piercings: Ears. My own, and I pierced 28 people's ears in the month I worked at Piercing Pagoda. What a random month.

O is for overnight hospital stays: None except my first few nights on this Earth.

P is for people you were with today: Everyone who came to church today, but ate dinner and played Clue with the Johns after.

Q is for what you do with your quiet time: Lately? School work. Otherwise, read. I'm looking forward to the books I got from the library yesterday.

R is for biggest regret: I don't have any regrets, really. There are things I would have rather not done, and a few I rather would have, but I've learned from everything so far and am glad for those experiences.

S is for status: Of what? Me? Sitting cross-legged on my bed typing this meme and watching "Serenity"

T is for time you woke up today: My alarm is set for 10:15. I think I woke up before that, but I didn't get out of bed until 11. I have hard time getting up early and being productive before 1 PM church. Starting next week, church is at 2:30. Lovely.

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: I'm the only one of me I know!

V is for vegetable you love: French cut green beans. Yum!

W is for worst habit: Procrastinating. I'm also easily distracted. I have 7 tabs in Firefox, 6 Word documents, one IM window (though the conversation ended an hour ago), one file folder, and one image. Most of them are related to my project.

X is for x-rays you’ve had: Abdominal, feet/ankles way more than I can count, and each wrist at least a few times.

Y is for yummy food you ate today: Pork ribs. So good.

Z is for zodiac: Gemini

Play along if you so choose!

I'm looking at you through the glass

I haven't posted this week because I honestly haven't felt up to it. I don't want this blog to turn all emo, and I have a journal that's helping me process through my emotions. I'm just trying to get through everything I have to do, which is a lot, but it's mostly boring to anyone else but me. As for how I'm really doing - I'm okay most of the time, which is good, but I have some crazy intense moments where I feel like I'm going to implode with sadness/frustration/anger. Such is the natural order of the grieving process. I put eight years into a relationship (in whatever capacity, from friends to dating and everywhere in between) that came to an abrupt end. I'm entitled to grieve.

In the meantime, I've been reminded that I have some excellent friends. Princess took particularly good care of me this weekend. Konfusion called me in the middle of the day today to check on me. And everyone else (you know who you are) is being positively amazing. I love you all.

For something fun, I'll do a photo post I borrowed from Kate the Great.

Do a Google image search and pick an image from the first page. Then post the image in response to the statement above.

Age I'll be on my next birthday



A place I'd like to visit


The city I live in



My favorite place




One of my favorite things to do



One of my favorite foods




My favorite flower




My favorite color




Name of a former pet



Major in college




My first job


My hope for 2008

A-B-C, baby, you and me

Thanks Mr. Me. Again.

A–Attached or single: Single, mostly, or something.

B–Best Friend: Fran, fo sho

C–Cake or Pie: What kind of pie? Cherry pie? What kind of cake? Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting? I'll take the cake. But if the pie is strawberry rhubarb and the cake is raspberry? I'll go with the pie.

Mmm. Cheesecake.

D–Day of Choice: I'm rather partial to Saturdays, since I can sleep in and still be productive on my own time and do whatever I want.

E–Essential Item: Cell phone. It's my main source of contact for the most important people in my life.

F–Favorite Color: I don't have one.

G–Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears, if I must. Does anyone remember Amazing Fruit? So good. Ideally? Jelly Babies.

H–Hometown: Of all the places I've lived, Orem, UT feels the most like home.

I–Indulgence(s): Bubble baths and a book. The outside world does not exist. I need a better bathtub.

J–January or July: July. I prefer the summer.

K–Kids: Are great. I don't have any.

L–Life is incomplete without: Love.

M–Marriage Date: Well, it's been facetiously set for April 21, 2010.

N–Number of Siblings: 1 sister and 1 brother

O–Oranges or Apples: If they're both the best most delicious of their kind (not to be confused with Red Delicious, which are anything but), I'll take the orange.

P–Phobias or Fears: Being alone forever.

Q–Quote(s): “I'd pay my bills with blind kids' smiles, but their money is a lot easier” - Emerson Cod

R–Reason To Smile: My friends. I love you guys.

S–Season: Spring.

T–Tag Six: Meh. Do it if you want to.

U–Unknown Fact about Me: I have a recent fondness for Cherry Coke.

V–Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: What a politically charged question. I like meat. Thank you.

V–Venice or Florence: Venice first, I think.

W–Worst Habit: Procrastinating.

X–X-Rays or Ultrasounds: I've had lots of x-rays. I probably glow in the dark.

Y–Your Favorite Food: Strawberries

Z–Zodiac: Gemini. Sometimes it's amusing.

The Movie in My Mind

If you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged.

A meme from Mister Me, who wondered how many of the Oscar best picture winners he'd seen.

I've put the ones I've seen in bold (though some I saw on TV and/or edited), the ones I own are in italics. Look for the one I own but haven't seen. :) Any that I saw in the theater are in red.

1928 - Wings, Sunrise (one for best production, other for unique and artistic)
1929 - The Broadway Melody of 1929
1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front
1931 - Cimmaron
1932 - Grand Hotel
1933 - Cavalcade
1934 - It Happened One Night
1935 - Mutiny on the Bounty
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1937 - The Life of Emile Zola
1938 - You Can’t Take It With You
1939 - Gone With the Wind
1940 - Rebecca
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1943 - Casablanca
1944 - Going My Way
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives
1947 - Gentleman’s Agreement
1948 - Hamlet
1949 - All The King’s Men
1950 - All About Eve
1951 - An American in Paris
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth
1953 - From Here to Eternity
1954 - On the Waterfront
1955 - Marty
1956 - Around the World in Eighty Days
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958 - Gigi
1959 - Ben-Hur
1960 - The Apartment
1961 - West Side Story
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia
1963 - Tom Jones
1964 - My Fair Lady
1965 - The Sound of Music
1966 - A Man For All Seasons
1967 - In the Heat of the Night
1968 - Oliver!
1969 - Midnight Cowboy
1970 - Patton
1971 - The French Connection
1972 - The Godfather
1973 - The Sting
1974 - The Godfather Part II
1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1976 - Rocky
1977 - Annie Hall
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1980 - Ordinary People
1981 - Chariots of Fire
1982 - Ghandi
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1984 - Amadeus
1985 - Out of Africa
1986 - Platoon
1987 - The Last Emperor
1988 - Rain Man
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1990 - Dances With Wolves
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1992 - Unforgiven
1993 - Schindler’s List
1994 - Forrest Gump
1995 - Braveheart
1996 - The English Patient
1997 - Titanic
1998 - Shakespeare in Love
1999 - American Beauty
2000 - Gladiator
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2002 - Chicago
2003 - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2005 - Crash
2006 - The Departed
2007 - No Country for Old Men

So here are my totals:

Total number of films: 81
Total I’ve seen: 20 (25 %)
Total I saw in the theater: 2 (2%)
Total I own: 2 (2%))

And I call myself a film buff? This is just sad! I have some catching up to do. Of course, it could just be that my movie taste differs from the Academy's, and I'm actually kind of proud that I've never seen Titanic. Still, it's lists like this that make me glad for Netflix.

When you kiss her lips

Shelley says that responding to a tag is good manners, then she tagged me. So I guess you get to learn more random things about me. Though I feel like I just did this one, it's different. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about memes in general, but what the heck. Here we go.

Where were you 10 years ago:
Trying to survive my 8th grade year at Odom Academy in Beaumont, TX.

Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Shelve
2. Fill music orders
3. Eat
4. Choir rehearsal
5. Start a school assignment

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Popcorn
2. Ice cream
3. Pretzels
4. Wheat Thins
5. Jelly Babies

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire:

Pay for my college education and that of my siblings. Build a house. Travel the world. Invest. Do something philanthropic. Run out of ideas before I run out of money.

4 Bad habits:
1. Procrastinating
2. As much as I love having a clean house, it's currently a low priority
3. Cooking box meals, a la Hamburger Helper, instead of something decent.
4. Starting a shower several minutes before I actually get in.

5 Jobs I have had:
1. Tele-researcher
2. Telemarketer (no cold calling though, thank goodness)
3. Waitress/server
4. Librarian
5. Cow mascot

5 Things people don't know about me:
1. I talk to myself
2. I'm addicted to checking blogs
3. I like watching Miami/LA Ink
4. If I got a tattoo, which I won't ever do, it would be a butterfly, probably on my shoulder.
5. I crave alone time almost much as I crave being with people. It's an interesting paradox, and luckily I can almost always find a balance.


This wasn't part of the meme, but I found this little Kiss Personality quiz online.

I'm Glow Girl, compact and curvy:

- Passionate, private and intense, you are also secretive and edgy.
- You have strong opinions and like to be in control.
- You are not easily fooled and tend to be reserved and concise.
- You are slow to show your emotions and are loyal to a trusted few; you don’t like to be crowded in.
- Always on the go, you have a great zest for life and can easily find that there’s not enough time in the day.
- You pay attention to details and can have impeccable manners.
- You can be a master of small talk while observing everything that is going on.
- You are determined and decisive; others find you mysterious and sexy.
- Romantically, you relish being adored.

Not bad really. What's yours?

Rattlesnakes

I totally failed to mention that my blog post yesterday was my 100th! Hooray!

To celebrate, I pulled an old meme off of Mister Me's blog.

The rules: Put your iPod on Shuffle and answer the following questions with the song titles. No cheating by skipping next until you find something interesting! (My blog title, by Tori Amos, is the first song it came up with.)

1. How does the world see you?
Yellow Submarine (The Beatles)

"And our friends are all aboard" I suppose I can live with that.

2. Will I have a happy life?
Carbon (Tori Amos)

"Keep your eye on the horizon" A little ambiguous, but at least it's not a definite no.

3. What do my friends really think of me?

Allison (Eve 6)

No! It's Amanda! How many times do I have to tell you?

4. Do people secretly lust after me?

Paint the Sky with Stars (Enya)

"Only dreams they cannot keep" - I'll take that as a yes. I knew it!

5. How can I make myself happy?

Sweet Dreams (Tori Amos)

Keep dreaming? Done!

6. What should I do with my life?

Radioactive Royal (Instant Winner)

Be a poisonous queen? That has the makings of a fun Disney movie . . . The song is about a girl that a guy can't stop thinking about, so that's not bad.

7. Will I ever have children?
Marry Me (No Doubt)

Right! I have to get married first. Duh!

8. What is some good advice for me?

Baker Baker (Tori Amos)

Well, I do like sweet things to eat, but I really don't need the extra poundage . . .

9. How will I be remembered?

There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet (Panic! At the Disco)

"I bet to them your name is cheap" I think my iPod hates me today.

10. What is my signature song?
Redundant (Green Day)

Now I'm convinced my iPod hates me. *harrumph*

11. What do I think my current theme song is?
I Didn't Want to Need You (Heart)

Considering certain events, this might actually be right.

12. What does everyone else think my current theme song is?

The Beauty Is (Reprise) (from The Light in the Piazza)

So I'm just as beautiful the second time around? Interesting.

13. What song will play at my funeral?

Don't Wish Too Hard (The Boy From Oz)

Sorry, kids, I'm not coming back no matter how much you miss me.

14. What type of men/women do I like?
Braver Than We Are (Reprise) (German) (from The Dance of the Vampires)

That's true! I want my man to be braver than me. I guess I just had to look at my iPod sternly.

15. What is my day going to be like?
Monument (Depeche Mode)

A monumental day? Yes, please!

This should be evidence that I really do have one of the most random music collections out there, plus a lot of Tori Amos. Not the most accurate of fortune-telling devices though.

But, if I want a fortune, I suppose I could just sell my blog.

My blog is worth $7,903.56.
How much is your blog worth?

In the city, the city of Compton

I bet you never guessed I'd use a Tupac song lyric. Well, I did. So there.

I borrowed this meme from Miss Nemesis. You list all the cities you spent at least one night in for 2007. Following her lead, I'm also going to do 2006 and my projected list for 2008. I also tried to do them in order.

2006

Orem, UT
Anaheim, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Provo, UT
Morris Plains, NJ
Grand Island, NE
Chicago, IL
Alexandria, VA
Where I Live Now, VA
Brooklyn, NY
Orem, UT (again, but this time as a visitor)

2007

Where I Live Now, VA
Corolla, NC
Orem, UT
Reston, VA
Nashville, TN
Rockville, MD
Lingfield, UK
Paris, France

2008 (Projected)

Where I Live Now, VA
Ft. Bragg, NC (maybe)
Orlando, FL
Corolla, NC
New York City, NY (maybe)
Orem, UT

My list gets shorter and shorter, but I still think that's not too shabby. Where have you stayed? Leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Turn off the idiot box!

From Kate:

The Top Five...

...Movies I'm ashamed to admit I will watch if they're on TV:

• The Wedding Planner
• Raising Helen
• Harry Potter movies (I really like them, but my roommate has on DVD)
• Anything with Amanda Bynes
• The Prince and Me

...TV Infomercials I can't change the channel away from:

• Some exercise products
• Ginsu knives (mostly so I can mentally make fun of them)
• And that's it. I love TiVo.

...Products I've purchased from a TV Infomercial

• A series of Winsor Pilates DVDs

...Odd combinations of foods I like to eat

• Cottage cheese and peaches
• Strawberries and marscapone cheese
• Fried eggs and Stove Top stuffing (So this happened once, but it really hit the spot that day.)
• Wendy's french fries dipped in a Frosty
• Ranch dressing on a baked potato

...Lines I'm famous for

• "Scout THIS!" (courtesy of Fran)
• "iiiI KNOW!" (courtesy of Monica Gellar)
• "Whatever you say, Kessler." (courtesy of Harold Green)
• "Yes, Heidi."
• "Sew, very old one! Sew like the wind!" (courtesy of Ned Nederlander)

...Things I do that No One should know about

• Go to sleep with makeup on
• Wash my laundry one day and put it away a week later
• Read crappy teen chick lit
• Dance when no one is watching, no matter what I'm wearing, or not wearing . . .
• Hold onto notes from the past, from people I'm no longer in contact with

I tag anyone who cares to be tagged. :)

Last year, I gave you my heart

This is making the rounds among my DC friends.

[] Became single (stayed single is more like it)
[X] got kissed
[X] kissed someone new
[ ] kissed in the snow
[x] kissed in the rain
[ ] kissed on the beach
[ ] 'fell in love'
[ ] 'fell in love' with a fool
[X] had my heart broken
[] broke someone else's heart
[X] had a stalker
[X] lost a friend
[X] had a good relationship with someone
[ ] came out of my closet
[ ] got married
[ ] had a divorce
[X] kissed someone of the same sex (on the cheek)
[X] dated someone that you will never forget
[] did something I regret
[] lost faith in love
[ ] kissed under mistletoe
[ ] got a promotion
[x] got a pay raise
[x] changed jobs (a few random temp jobs)
[x] quit my job (see above)
[ ] dated a co-worker
[ ] dated my boss
[ ] dated my boss's son/ daughter
[ ] got fired from my job
[x] got straight A's
[] met a teacher who I became friends with
[] met a teacher who I really hate
[X] found the subject I love
[] failed a class
[X] cut class
[X] skipped school
[ ] got in a fight with a classmate
[X] did something I was proud of
[X] discovered a new talent
[X] proved myself that I'm an idiot
[] embarrassed myself in front of the class
[ ] fell in love with a teacher
[x] got the lead/minor lead role in the school play (not school, but a lead nonetheless)
[ ] made a team
[X] was involved in something that I will never forget
[ ] painted a picture
[ ] wrote a poem
[x] ran a mile
[X] listened to music I couldn't stand
[X] double dipped
[X] went to a sleepover
[x] went to camp
[ ] threw a surprise party
[X] laughed till I cried
[X] flirted shamelessly
[x] visited a foreign country
[X]visited a state
[x] cooked a disastrous meal
[X] lost something important to me
[X] got a gift I love
[X] realized something new about myself
[x] went on a diet
[ ] tried to gain weight
[x] dyed my hair
[ ] came close to losing my life
[] someone/thing close to me died
[ ] got arrested
[X] read a great book
[X] saw a great movie
[ ] saw a movie so scary that it made me cry
[x ] saw a favorite band live
[X] did something that I wanted to tell everyone
[X] experienced something new
[X] made new friends
[X] found out who your real friends are
[] lied to your parents
[ ] snuck out
[ ] got in trouble with the po-po
[ ] kissed in a pool
[X] kissed under the stars
[X] had the time of your life
[X] danced
[ ] fell out of love
[X] had a crush on someone
[] swam in a pool
[ ] made a snowman
[ ] went snowboarding
[ ] went sledding
[] slept in past 2pm
[X] held someone’s hand that you care about
[ ] got wasted in a public place
[X] told someone you like them as more than a friend
[X] gone on vacation
[X] gone on vacation with a friend
[X] driven a car
[x] danced in the rain
[] got in a car accident
[] seen someone get in a car accident
[ ] got in a fist fight
[X] laughed until you couldn't breathe
[X] missed someone
[ ] sent someone to the hospital
[ ] got a new pet

A YEAR-END SURVEY1.) Who was your best friend at the beginning of this year? The end?
Heidi and Jason, at the beginning, now just Heidi. And a great new group of friends here in DC

2.) What was your status by Valentine's Day? Single.

3.) Were you in school (anytime this year)? fo sho

4.) How did you earn your keep? Being a librarian

5.) Did you ever have to go to the hospital? no

6.) Have you encountered the police this year? no

7.) Where did you go on vacation? UT, TN, NC, England, France

8.) What did you purchase that was over $500? Tuition, books

9.) Did you know anybody who got married? Of course

10.) Did you know anybody who passed away? No one personally

11.)How many times did you go on facebook/myspace? many many times

12.) Did you move anywhere? Down the hall?

13.) What sporting events did you go to? Nationals, Orioles

14.) What concerts did you go to? They Might Be in Giants

15) Are you registered to vote? Yes
16.) If so, did you do your patriotic duty on Nov. 6? Yes

17.) Where do you live now? VA

18.) Describe your birthday. First, my car broke down on the side of I-66 in the middle of rush hour, so I had to deal with that. Then, my friends and I drove down to Outer Banks, NC. Took twice as long as necessary, and we had dinner at some random buffet place. It was better than the last two years, but still needs improvement.

19.) What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2007? Go through the temple just because

20.) What is one thing you regretted this year? I don't regret anything

21.) What's something you learned about yourself? That I'm much better at standing up for myself than I thought.

22.) Any new additions to your family? Blood, no. Urban, yes.

23.) What was your best month? I really liked October? I don't know.

24.) How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (crappy) to 10 (amazing)? 8 or 9, one of my best years yet.