A Very Chubby Puppy Christmas

Christmas has been fun this year although I still don't really think it feels like the holidays. Right now I'm cooped up in my house due to the icky white stuff falling from the sky. Last night was spent at my aunt's house with my parents, cousins and their kids. My favorite of the evening was my second cousin Brittney's son shrieking over getting a present. When he heard his name Daimen, he squealed and said, "Maimen, it's for maimen!" Watching his reaction was the best of the night after we enjoyed my aunt's nacho cheesy dip, ham, a jello salad, and of course dill dip with a relish tray. For christmas we always have a buffet of food, no formal sit down dinner.

Christmas morning was fun. Holding to tradition, I slept in and my parents woke up before I did. (Hey, it's my day off.) The 'rents gave me a stereo that plays CDs, radio, USB, and MP3 (AKA my iPod). I've already tested it out with "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by the Darkness on my iPod, my new Linkin Park CD (thanks Dani), and set my favorite stations (although most were playing Christmas music). The best Christmas was had by my fat puppy. Ellie attacked the wrapping paper and shredded it to bits after the presents were opened. Then she got her giant BoBo (the long fuzz-filled loofa dog chew toy from the PetsMart commercials) and began to de-fluff it.

Anyway, I hope you all are having a good Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I PASSED!

So I am COMPLETELY surprised... I got an A in my Communication Research class. This was the STATs class that I was just hoping for a C. I'm just so excited!

I still have to wait for my English - Pop Culture grade but I'm not worried because my Buffy Newspaper was the sniznit. I just want to jump up and down on the couch cuz I actually passed!!! YAY!

Red vs. Green

Surfin' YouTube I found this funny video. It's about as Christmas-y as I get so enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Emo, Screamo and Innerpartysystem

I was really excited to go the Innerpartysystem concert on Tuesday night. Finals were FINALLY over and I was going through live music withdrawals. The show was at The Avalon - the small theater that was converted into a concert venue - during a frosty blizzard where temperatures reached a whopping 20 degrees. Jen, Jane, Megan and I ventured out into the arctic air. We arrived relatively on time after an awesome Crown Burger meal. Once in the venue we found that the owners were opposed to using the heater. Luckily we all wore our coats as - at the most - 75 people were in attendance and the Avalon never reached what I would call warm.

After adjusting to our frigid surroundings we enjoyed (okay, more like were tortured with) five opening bands. The synopsis of the barrage of terribleness that assaulted my hearing before ISP took the stage is there was emo, screamo, a band with an iPod drummer. Then there was two that I could have been okay with IF there hadn't been the other five opening bands. Who has five openers?

Emo was playing when we arrived. The female lead singer with no personality tried to be mysterious by saying dumb stuff like "I wrote this song about a black hole" between songs. After was Screamo, a local band that was full of 19-year-old boys with an attention complex. The guitarist insisted on being the most annoying person during everyone else's sets as he and the rest of the skinny jean-wearin' bandmates tried to mack on the underage chicks swarming their merch booth.

The next band was pretty good but their somber, ballads were eternal - as in they lasted for-ev-er. The only song that really stood out was a cover of an 80s or early 90s song I cannot place. Ballad band was followed by two guys and an iPod. They cam on stage and announced that they didn't have a drummer (or a bass guitarist). They literally hooked up their iPod with the beats and began to play. Sadly, they were better than emo and screamo who had members to spare onstage. After witnessing their performance I had a theory that the lead singer's onstage arm swinging killed the drummer and bassist.

After drumless, Neon Trees hit the stage. Their performance was unusually entertaining to say the least. The lead singer was wearing a top heat, shiny copper vest over a black shirt, red & black stripped stretchy pants and a sparkly gold scarf. They were actually decent and knew how to perform for a crowd.

Several hours later Innerpartysystem took the stage and were well worth it. They have an energetic brand of industrial rock and it was accompanied by a stellar light show that transformed The Avalon into a completely different place. The opening song wasn't the strongest of the set but they did give a great live show. The only song I really knew was their first single, "Don't Stop" but the show was great.

Innerpartysystem "Don't Stop"

MINI vs. the box

On my way to my last day of class I encountered what seemed like an small, insignificant box. This box was made of cardboard and looked like it had once encased a clock. It was about 2 ft x 2 ft x 2 in. As I drove up 400 South in downtown SLC, the box flew into my lane and I couldn't swerve unless I wanted to hit the TRAX train or another car so I chose to drive over it. At this point the box became wedged under my car due to the MINI's limited space between the road and the undercarriage. Driving faster, slower, changing lanes all in the effort to free this stupid box did not work, it was holding on for dear life. When I reached the next light I idled near a TRAX stop and prayed that those waiting for the mass transit train would not see or hear the box trapped under my car.

After several lights I pulled into a neighborhood and parked. With my car running I tried to pull the box out without any luck. I grabbed my long snow scraper and began to poke the box, push the box and even curse at the box. The stupid thing WOULD NOT MOVE!! As I worked to pry the box apart while still under my car, I hoped that no one would see. Unfortunately the #$%@ thing still wouldn't budge even after pulling apart the glued corners and sides.

I gave up not wanted to be late to my final and got back into the car. I pulled out of the angled parking and turned the wheels to spin around and go toward the U when the - now mangled box - loosened it's death grip. I whipped around and as I went back toward the busy 400 S. I noticed a guy sitting on the hood of his car facing mine. It seemed like he had been there the entire time watching me attempt to get the box loose. UGGH!

From the last MINI versus incident I've got a small shovel for when I get stuck in the snow, now I think I need a box cutter for the tiny possibility that I run over another 2 inch tall box.

"Just" a little somethin'

So I am a huge fan of video. I love TV, film, web videos, and music videos. Some of my favorite music videos broke the mold and are definitely underestimated. I've picked one of my favorites "Just" by Radiohead. Enjoy!

Hey Sucka!

One of the easiest forms of sugar to make is the sucker. It does take a few dollars up front to start but then you just have to purchase lots of sugar and corn syrup. For anyone interested in making your own suckers here's the how-to:

The Supplies:

I like to use the metal sucker molds because they are easier to get the suckers out, easy to clean, and last for-EVER. Make sure that you get hard candy molds not the ones used for chocolate candies. The molds can be found at baking supply stores and sometimes at craft stores. You just have to look. The molds should also come with the clips to hold them together while you pour the suckers. Extras are nice because these are small and could go missing. 

Another necessity is a candy thermometer that goes to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Some easier to find supplies are the sucker sticks (~3" long). Paper ones work best because they won't melt and can be found at craft stores in the candy aisle. While your at the craft store pick up some treat bags (size 3 x 4")

Next you need to ensure you have a surface to pour the suckers. The cheap way is a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. The nicer way is a marble cooking slab but that's for the obsessive suckers makers (they can be used for other things).

The Ingredients: 

(to make one batch of suckers - about 25 suckers)

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Water

2/3 cup White Corn Syrup (like Karo Syrup)

Food Coloring (liquid or paste)

1 tsp Flavoring (grape, cinnamon, licorice, watermelon, and my fav -cloves)

What to do:

Set up the cooking surface (cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil or marble slab). Put together about 30 sucker molds and place them in rows on the surface. Spray the surface and the molds thoroughly with PAM (or other cooking spray). Combine water, sugar and corn syrup in pot on stove. Turn stove on High. Place candy thermometer into sucker mixture without letting the thermometer sit on the bottom of the pot (this will give an inaccurate temperature reading). When mixture reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit IMMEDIATELY remove mixture from hot stove burner. Quickly stir in coloring and then flavoring. Pour the liquid mixture into the molds making sure to cover the sucker sticks. Once the mix is in the molds it only takes a few minutes to set up and harden. When the suckers are hardened, pull the clip off the mold and this should release the sucker. Slowly releasing the mold will help the sucker to not break. After the sucker is free of the mold, place it in the treat bag and tie off with yarn or string. 

Hangin' with the Breaux's

Friday was an interesting night. My friend Nick turned the rip old age of 22. Yes, 22. I met him and the rest of the breaux's (two brought their girlfriends) at All-Star Bowling. Breaux is Nick's band and is pronounced Bro. We had planned on playing a couple of games but the alley was packed and it was a two hour wait. 

Plan B

We (Nick, Jeren, Tyler, Nick's girlfriend -Amanda, Greg - Nick's lead guitarist, Greg's girlfriend, Kyle and I) drove to Nickel-mania (ghetto version of Nickelcade) and dropped about $5.oo ($2.50 of that was the entrance fee). Jeren, Kyle, Tyler and I all tore up a mean game of The Simpsons. We each were a character (I was Homer) as we battled Moe, Zombies, and other bad guys to free Maggie from Smithers. We kept throwing in the nickels to get to the end of the game where we took out Smithers and then had to fight the evil Mr. Burns who was in something that some-what resembled a Sci-fi Pope-mobile. We four brilliant arcade players ventured out on our own. Nick went for the Star Wars game while Jeren and Tyler became hitmen. I - on the other hand - drove a porsche, killed the undead who were trying to escape a mental hospital, skied down what looked like grass, and then terminated some terminators. And I still have nickels...

Next the night took us to The Training Table. I ordered the Grilled Cheese on Sourdough and we just sat back and laughed at stories from the adventures of Jeren, Kyle and Nick. When I finished eating 2 of the 3 slices of my sandwich I just let my food digest. I then offered my last slice to Nick. The boy is like a vulture. He will scarf his meal down in seconds then just wait for you to be finished. Then he will proceed to dive into your leftovers. 

After food, Nick wanted to go to his favorite sports bar & grill The Huddle. The name should be the hovel. Its this small space next to a grocery store. Nick, Jeren, Tyler, Kyle, Kyle (2) and I sat around and talked while the boys enjoyed their beverages. The Jazz game was up and Nick was happy until two pool players commandeered the juke box and began to play all hair metal. There was also this questionable drunk dude invading the space of several patrons. The fear of him joining our table if he saw us staring was not as bad as the desire to watch his crazy antics. 

Finals! - will they ever end?

So I don't really feel like I know if I will pass my STATs class. My instructor has not given out midterm grades or even graded all assignments. It's REALLY frustrating. But what I do know is that there are three more classes until the end of the semester. YAY! Final projects are being completed, group presentations are being given and tests are being taken and then... the insanity will end.

I will miss my Pop Culture class, the people in my group in the annoying STATs class, and... well that's about it. In honor of finals, I've posted my favorite video regarding the ultimate final. Hopefully those who've survived finals in the past and those trying to survive their own finals (T!) will find it to be a little reprieve in this trying time. 

Bite Me, Beyonce and Rhino

The crazies came out again... instead of the book it was the live action film for the first Stephenie Meyer book "Twilight." I left work early cuz... well, I could. I went with a co-worker to see a matinee showing of the much anticipated film. The 4:15 showing (while probably not like the midnight show) had a few overly excited girls in Twilight shirts carrying posters with Rob Pattinson's picture pasted all over that read OCD (Obsessive Cullen Disorder). This made me giggle internally. During the film, my co-worker and I kept getting into uncontrollable fits of giggles (which we did try and stifle). The problem wasn't the movie, it was the "ahhhs" and "ohhhhs" at everything Rob Pattinson (who played Edward Cullen) did on screen. After viewing the film twice (yes, twice... don't mock), I'd give the film a 3... it wasn't the 'best movie ever' but it was entertaining, filled with eye candy, and contained two great songs Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole" and Linkin Park's "Leave Out All The Rest."

After the film, I raced to an Anti-Twilight party. Ironically I drove around getting lost before watching "The Lost Boys" - what Jen called "a real vampire movie." It was great. The Corey's, the cheesy lines, the awesome music, and - of course - some shirtless, steroid guy singing during a boardwalk concert scene sporting spandex pants, a leather cod piece and a long perm-mullet.

My other weekend obsessions (non-vampiric) were the awesomely crazy Rhino the Hamster in "Bolt" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)". Rhino just made that film entertaining plus its all about pets - a great subject. And the Beyonce song is just fun and such a single girls anthem especially with lyrics like "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it."

Check it out:

Just call me Mrs. McIntyre

So I'm admitting to the blogging world that I just went to an AWESOME concert tonight. New Kids on the Block (left to right; Jonathon Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, and Danny Wood) played at the E-Center in Utah and they were, well, AWESOME! I know that Jen will post some embarrassing pics of me obsessing over Joey McIntyre but I can't help it. The pre-teen girl in me came out, danced, sang along and had a great time at the show.

Before you shake your head, just remember that group that you liked - no LOVED! - back before you could drive, or date, or legally watch a R rated movie. NKOTB was just a fun night where I got to crimp my hair, wear a lot of blue eye shadow and hear some sappy love songs circa 1984. And the obsessing over Joey was just a given... especially when he sang "Please Don't Go Girl." During the concert, the group mixed in their oldies but goodies with songs from their new album including "Single" and "Summertime" (click below to play).

Harriet, Sweet Harriet...

So I'm feeling a bit of nostalgia... Here's a funny slideshow of Jen, Cindi and I in Scotland last October. We're trying something new.

Parasitic, psycho, filthy creature...

... for those who have no idea what the title of this blog is... you need to be introduced to Ludo. This extremely amazing band was in SLC on 05 Nov 2008 at The Avalon. Their brand of rock, punk, and completely goofiness is refreshing. 

Ludo opened their set with energetic rock songs, slowed it down with lead man, Andrew Volpe, playing guitar and singing solo onstage, then Ludo had the crowd bunch together for a photo op and sing "Jingle Bells." Ludo performed their big single "Love Me Dead" (which I love) near the end of their set and - after returning for a single song encore - they performed the classic song "Ghostbusters." 

Jen, Vanessa, Jenn, Jane and I all stuck around after the awesome show and hummed the 80s hair metal playing over the venue speakers into our new $1 Ludo Kazoos while the roadies took down the instruments. After about 10 minutes, the band came out to greet their adoring fans. I saw the cute lead singer (Andrew Volpe), the goofy keyboardist, and the bass player as they walked to the merch table. It was a fun night that was much needed after my icky school week and the fact that it SNOWED!!! (BTW-snow is a four letter word)

Ludo plans to return to SLC in 2009 and I hope to see you there dancin' in the crowd with me and the rest of my friends.

Best-est Halloween Ever!

Halloween is my favorite holiday with the candy, the dressing up, and... the candy!

This year Dani, Jen, Thor and I went to work as a team of Super Hero Assassins called the Electric Rangers... I voted for Power Rangers but was vetoed. This idea was spawned over a year ago when Dani and I were obsessed with the show "Heroes" and she and I were going to go as a Super Villain and her Side Kick. When we talked Jen into joining our crew we miraculously found these amazing Airwalk shoes with lightening bolts and stuff on them. It gave us our colors (Blue, Pink and Yellow) and then we just added on until Static Cling (me, Pink), Electra Shock (Dani, Blue) and High Voltage (Jen, Yellow) emerged. A little while before All Hallow's Eve we decided that our Charlie's Angels-like trio needed a fearless leader so we found General Electric (AKA Thor). 

Halloween was fun. We dressed up in our costumes and then proceeded to not really get anything done at work, eat candy, drive around looking for glass etching stuff for Jen, get free Chick-fil-a sandwiches from a soon-to-be store near my house, and - finally - end up at our friend Cara's for a fun Halloween party where we ate Halloween-themed finger foods. 

New Puppy

So I now have two dogs. One is a chubby mini D named Ellie. She's really cute, friendly and loves people especially Dani, Cindi and Jen. Just watch out for when she gets excited. She has bladder control issues. 

Today my parents brought home another dog. He's a 10 week old mini D/chihuahua mix. He came with the name Zorro and it has stuck. So Zorro is really cute, but I don't think the two dogs are sure about each other yet. In fact, I'm not sure I'm excited about having another puppy in the house since training is really cumbersome. But seeing how cute and snugly he is it's really hard to not want to keep him.

Going back to Cali, Cali, Cali

Okay so that song doesn't give a good impression but I couldn't think of anything else. Plus its LL Cool J. Anyway, I loved being out of the state of Utah for a week. I needed a break from school, work, and I was able to miss the first snow of the season. YAY!

10 Things I Loved about Cali

Missing the first snow of the season - need i say more.

Pandas - Two were sleepy and one was eating. My fav is the one in the tree, she didn't move the entire time.

T2 and Jurassic Park- two movies I loved and two attractions I was really excited about. T@ is my all time favorite movie and Jurassic park was just fun. Although the numerous times riding it I never got a good picture. I always look goofy when they take pics on rides.

Extra car insurance - With it parked across the street, Steve was able to see a white mini van hit the bumper of our rental car. We didn't worry due to Jen's insight on getting full coverage insurance. Also, note that Jen doesn't like to back up into a parking space. This led to the second dent in the bumper and a funny comment about the parking attendant. (more info ask Jen)

Sea otters, Shamu and Dolphins, oh my - I love sea animals. We went to Sea World and watched their dolphin and shamu shows. They were both fun (even though shamu's was kind political). I loved going to the Arctic area and we were able to see the Beluga Whales (Jen's fav) and the penguins... so cute. The sea otters were funny and playful looking but they were more interested in eating their shrimp. I also learned that bat rays are slimy and Jen has tasted a lot of the exotic fish they had in some of the tanks (via sushi). 

Wade the magic guy - It's Disney's year of a millon wishes or dreams. While waiting for Steve to get his name sewn into his Mickey ears hat, jen, cindi and I were approached by one of the elusive 'dream' people. Wade was funny AND he gave us a fast pass to any ride. we immediately went to the Haunted Mansion (my favorite ride since it was decked out in Nightmare Before Christmas decor).

The Beach - 

My skin needed a tan. While most of the sun I got was not at the beach our venture to Newport took us to the nice (and chilly) beach where we actually got Jen to go bare foot on sand and kinda go into the water. There were no sea lions... so this was a plus. Cindi really loved it. I think if we stayed the whole day she would have eventually been soaked instead she only went in up to her knees in the water.

We were wicked! - I liked the book (yes, I know that a lot of people don't like the book) but I thought that the Broadway musical was a good adaption. The funny story takes the audience through Oz through the eyes of Elpheba, the wicked witch of the west. The cast was incredible but I loved seeing Carol Kane on stage. She's hilarious!!!

Going to hell while at Disney & Being escorted off Splash Mountain - 

okay, okay... it was due to the ride malfunctioning. But it is funny to say that you've been escorted off a ride in the happiest place on Earth. as for the Hell part, if you've ever been on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride then you'll know there are demons, the devil and Hell... all in Fantasy Land at Disney. They truly have everything.

Last but not least....

Hanging out with 3 friends on vacation.

Top 5 Scary Flicks

Halloween is my favorite holiday. You can dress up and be anyone you want. There's free candy. Scary movies are played on TV all the time. Legends and myths are told in graveyards. Haunted Houses open their doors. It's a great time. Did I mention that there are scary movies on all the time?

For those who like scary movies, and even you crazies who don't... here are my top 5 (at least right now).


1) The Ring

How creepy is a girl with long stringy black hair who kills you 7 days after watching a VHS tape. I don't what is more eerie, the girl or the fact that it is a VHS tape. My first encounter with this movie (at age 22) had me sleeping upstairs at my parents house WITH the light on. And I don't usually get scared by movies.


2) Saw

Usually gory flicks are not my favorite but this one is good! The lack of budget did not hinder this really engaging film that proves that the idea of something is often more frightening than actually seeing it. Cary Elwes (Westley in "The Princess Bride") is amazing in this flick as a doctor locked in a room with a dilemma. Saw his own leg off by 6 PM to save his family or stay there and die. This film, while kinda gruesome, is deemed one of the best due to the ingenious ending. Go low budget horror.


3) Candyman

This movie is just great. Legend and film come together. This film launched the uber-creepy Tony Todd's horror career with his portrayal of Candyman, an Urban Legend much like that of Bloody Mary. If you say his name 5 times in front of a mirror he'll come out and kill you. However, this movie was not a good choice for me at the age of 15. I decided (like a dumb teen) to watch it at 11 PM when my parents were not home.






4) Sleeping with the Enemy

While this isn't a horror film it's really a truly scary film. As a woman, the idea that you could fall in love, get married and then ten days or ten years later your husband could change and become this violently abusive man is just horrifying. I love this film because they have an awesome use of "Brown Eyed Girl" and I am a brown eyed girl so I love that song. Julia Roberts is great as the terrified - and yet determined to be strong - battered wife. Patrick... I don't remember his name... is just plain creepy. In the UK he's always portrayed the "good guy" but here in the US he's always the "Bad guy". As the abuse husband searching for a wife whom he believes is his property, the guy never blinks. NEVER. Just you watch. That is what makes him so intense and creepy.


5) Pulse

I know. Another Japanese horror flick remade by us Americans. But what can I say Japanese filmmakers have a knack for creeping me out. This film takes place at a college campus as a group of students accidently release the dead on an electronic frequency. Okay, I'm not doing it justice but it has Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Sarah Marshall) and Wes Bentley along with some really eerie ghosts.

Shopping during a monsoon

So today Jen, Cindi and I braved the weather to finalize things for our trip to California next week. We set out and discovered the entire Salt Lake Area was in the middle of a monsoon. Huge drops of water pelted pedestrians as they walked or ran for shelter. Some things that I learned during this outing:

*don't even attempt a hairstyle in the morning it'll be flat in two minutes.
*wearing a hoodie is not wise as the water will soak through to make you soggy.
*go for higher ground - parking in lower parts of any parking lot can be tragic as lakes tend to form and they will engulf your car.
*avoid I-215 at all costs - the state of Utah needs to invest in drainage for their freeways.
*stay away from malls as the masses swarm until the weather clears up and/or the shops close.

While I am sure there are other suggestions for surviving a shopping spree in the middle of a rainstorm, I only listed those which I encountered. Next time I'm just going to curl up on the couch and watch a movie or nap. But for today, I survived it and blogged about it and now... I'm going to go and dry off.

Things I'm going to do...

Okay so if you read this (and you are not some creepy stalker) you are welcome to join me at the Avalon on Nov. 5 for a fun evening with Ludo (see Big @$$ blog). Tickets are $12 and it'll be well worth it. We'll actually get to see their faces. YAY! Jen... yes, I will get you, Thor, other Jen and Jane a ticket.

Also, before that Thriller is coming to Kingsbury Hall again. I'm going to keep the tradition alive and get a group together to see it. If you are interested then let me know tickets will be around $20-$25. I'm thinking Oct 25 at 7 PM so it's on a Saturday. I just love Halloween. It's my favorite holiday and this is just a perfect way to celebrate it with all of my friends and the classic horror characters like Jason Voorhees, Frankenstein's monster, and my favorite River of Blood Dance. (Insert evil laugh here).

Big @$$ Concert

So I'm a HUGE music fan. I like it loud and angry (as Angie always says). Well this weekend I was sun kissed as I sat at the USANA Amphitheater to witness the annual x-96 Big Ass Show. It's a great event even if you're not sure of the bands. Usually tickets are no more than $25 and you get to see at least 8 bands... sometimes more. Its just a fun, cheap way to see a lot of groups live with a huge crowd of insane people.

This year was the first time I have been in a couple of years and several co-workers were also at the event. We sat on the grass (I'm still not sure I like USANA over the Utah State Fairpark) and listened to some great live music and, of course, people watched. The people watching became a sport. Find the strangest clothing on a person and point it out the rest of the group. Jen's favorite, a small black top hat attached like a barrette to a gothic-ish girls head. My favorite was the crazy dancing dude wearing a cardboard sign telling the concertgoers to check out his band, Elizabethan Report, on the Live and Local Stage. His moves were sure to get a crowd for their show. One of the perks of people watching is that you notice the cute cops, especially the one with pink handcuffs - KINKY!

Some of the people watching turned to disgust when a pink tank top wearing women who was very inebriated decided to practically have sex on the lawn area with a short "Coyote Ugly" dude. The term "Get a Room" wouldn't even cover this public display of affection. YUCK!!

The hours of people watching did have a grand soundtrack featuring Innerpartysystem, Ludo, Mindless Self Indulgence and 10 Year to name some of my favorites. I still can't get "Shut Me Up" from Mindless Self Indulgence out of my head or Ludo's "Love Me Dead." I'm telling you I will be at their next appearance in SLC. I would recommend all my favorites (listed above) as they are great live acts. All in all it was a fun day to hear some tunes, hang out with friends and a turn a slightly reddish hue in the sun.

LUDO - "Love Me Dead"

Pirate Party Memories

So Friday was International Talk like a Pirate Day and my co-worker had her annual party on Saturday to commemorate the event. There was roast fowl, wenches, pirates, grog, and more importantly friends. Johnny Depp did make an appearance and even as a cardboard cutout he's still really cute.

I traveled to the festivities with Cindi and Jen. We drank (our non-alcoholic drinks), laughed, gazed at intoxicated co-workers, barely covered ladies who were showing off their 'favorable assets'. All in all the night was just fun.

I did wear a pirate hat but realized that for next year's party I need to invest in a corset and some serious wench gear. Maybe some pirate undies like I saw on some of the 'wenches' in attendance. Yes, I saw people's under things when they all mooned the camera for a picture of their matching underwear.

I'm whelmed

Like many, this fall I began the annoying quest to gain a B.S. degree at the University of Utah with a degree in Communication Technology. I've had two semesters under my belt and, along with an A.S. from SLCC I should be graduating soon, right?

Nope, wrong.

With my 40 hour a week work schedule (okay, I'm in school it's more like 36-38 hours), and my need to see movies, sleep, hang with friends and generally not let school run my life, I'm whelmed... and bordering on being overwhelmed. (brownie points to you if you catch the movie reference).

Some of the things that are making me whelmed are:

*working 1 pm to 8 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays - it's hard because all I do is school in the morning and working then going home to get some homework done before sleep.

*having an instructor who cannot tell me what I need to do for a paper - I really hate cryptic instructors. I have 4 analytical papers to turn in and I've received contradicting information (from the same person) on how to write such papers. I also have 2 process analysis papers (I have no idea what this is going to entail) and a group project...

*group project... need I say more. With an already full schedule these are the hardest for me to complete. I also have a group member who is hard to communicate with. Our project is to do research for a non-profit. This person has worked for this group before (YWCA) and continues to think that we all know everything that she does about the organization. It's really frustrating because when I point out my concerns I feel like the bitch in the group. I'm probably not as patient as I could be since our group meetings are around 12:30 (i.e., lunch time) and I'm usually starving. YAY!

*my pop culture class is the least of my worries as I get to watch TV for my homework... I loved Twin Peaks. It's really funny and would recommend it to anyone. Not overly David Lynch but enough of his quirkiness to be interesting. Plus I love Kyle MacLachlan. After watching this show, I think he's underrated as an actor. His take on his character Agent Cooper is wonderfully refreshing to watch. Plus there's a llama. anything is great if there's a llama. the only part of this class that is whelming me is the two assignments I have to do. I'm, again, stuck with an instructor that just says "it can be anything." Which can be the kiss of death because 'anything' refers to anything that the instructor deems appropriate for the assignment. I think I need to get my ESPN fix so I can read minds.

Well, now that I've vented via my blog I'm hoping I can stop acting like a Bee-otch to my friends, family, and co-workers. Well, I've got to go and write a paper...

Who knew about hulu

So one of the favorite things about my Pop Culture class is that I've discovered a new online TV/Movie source. If you like to stream TV and movies from your computer then you need to visit hulu.

This great site is filled with a random selection of TV shows and movies. I've watched Sliders (yes, it's a sci-fi show) and Finding Forrester (with Sean Connery). Everything under the sun is not available but what is might be that show you missed from 5 years ago, that movie you haven't seen since the theater, or season premieres from Prison Break (yay! for jen) and new series like Sons of Anarchy.

Check it out at www.hulu.com

NIN Rocked the E-Center

I witnessed one of the best performances last night. Nine Inch Nails performed at the E-Center in front of an excited crowd. Unfortunately, the E-Center switched to Ticketmaster and they didn't sale out the show... (Note: I really despise Ticketmaster because they overcharge and don't include parking. You could say I'm a fan of SmithsTix.)

Anyway, NIN came out and energized the crowd with songs like Terrible Lie and Closer. They took it down a notch and played some soothing instrumentals... okay, soothing for NIN. They played instrumentals (I think from their new album) and worked their way into "Piggy" from The Downward Spiral. They reignited the crowd with songs from With Teeth like "The Hand that Feeds" and "Only" then finished with "Head Like a Hole." NIN returned to the stage for an encore and this was the first time I heard Trent Reznor speak to the crowd. He thanked everyone for showing up and talked about their career going up and down but that they "weren't Kayne or Coldplay but they are cuter than Coldplay."

For almost two hours they played straight through without interruptions. It was amazing. Their sets gave entertaining graphics during the instrumental songs and they just hammered out one great performance after another. I've been a fan of the group since Pretty Hate Machine's "Head like a Hole" but never saw them live. Now I would recommend them to anyone. Okay maybe not my mom but my mom is pretty cool. I got listened to the Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson so much in high school that she could sing with the "Ahhh!" parts of the song.

Other highlights included...

*Overall Guy. He donned the overalls shirtless and with only one strap latched.
*Getting nosebleed tickets but then getting moved right next to the stage (due to the lack of ticket sales... stupid Ticketmaster).
*Dancing Dad sitting in front of us with his teenage sons while wearing his 90s shorts and I almost expected a fanny pack.
*Not being the the mosh pit with hairy, sweaty, shirtless dude.
*Trent Reznor - he's just so AWESOME!!! (And definitely better than Serj Tankian from System of a Down)

If you haven't had the pleasure of watching NIN live, below is a great clip from MTV of their VMA performance of "The Fragile."

NIN - "The Fragile"

Pop Culture, Chicken Wings, and Vin

I started my week out with a trip to the Wing Coop. It's a small chicken wing joint that serves wings and beer. It's on 4100 and Redwood. The wings go up to eleven. Now when I say eleven it's not dollars (or volume levels) that's the name of the hottest wing on the menu. Several of the guys at Jeren's birthday party tried the Eleven and immediately broke out into a sweat. But my fav with the Wing Coop is Nick going crazy on 20 wings ranging in hotness. He didn't go for the Eleven's but he sure got covered in sauce and started to sweat. It could've been the wings or the lack of AC I can't tell. After the wings we (the we that were over 21) went to a sports bar. I had to leave early so I could get my older self out of bed the next day for school.

The next day was an adventure. It took me 90 minutes to get to the U of U. RIDICULOUS!!! I was irritated about my commute but more so that I missed the first ten minutes of my first class, Pop Culture. That's right I'm taking an entire class from the English department in pop culture. This semester we are discussing Cult TV. So guess what my homework is... yep, it's to watch TV. Granted I have to find some of the shows (X-Files, Twin Peaks, Star Trek) on iTunes or on DVD because they've been off the air for a while but what a great assignment. It's something I already do anyway so what more could a girl want.

Well, I did want a little bit more. So i went and saw Babylon A.D. with Vin Diesel. He's just hot... H.O.T.T. And really awesome in Pitch Black.

The movie was good and weird and probably not for everyone. But director Mattheu Kassovitz (actor in Amelie and director of Gothika) did a good job of co-writing and directing a strange little futuristic tale. In Babylon AD, the rest of the world is post-apocalyptic and America is the Garden of Eden. The ending is weak but the visuals and the action make the film. Vin's character must smuggle this odd girl to New York and in true action film fashion there's some trouble. (And, yes, Thor there is a cheesy, sort-of romance as the girl and Vin get to know each other, but its Vin! what girl wouldn't swoon!). But more than the movie, I am EXCITED (or obsessed) about some of the new movies they showed trailers for... see below.

Fast and the Furious 4



Max Payne



Terminator Salvation