Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Larryville

Well, Stacie and I have gone back in time. We have decided to move to Lawrence together for the next 8 months. She needs to take some pre-reqs for her Masters in Nutrition, and I decided to take some business courses to prepare myself for the MBA program that I am currently applying for. And when I say currently, I mean as I type this, I actually have my word application open with one of the four essays I have to write. Yippee. Who's jealous? Didn't think so.

Hmm, so update:

-Met a boy and really like him. (Of course this happens as I plan my move to Italy, right?) Grandma Glory is also very happy. I talked to her today and she said she's glad I finally have a boyfriend again. And I said, "Grandma Glory, he's not my boyfriend, we're just dating." And she said, "Dating means he's your boyfriend." We went through this a few more times and then I gave up.

-Went to Daytona with my parents, the Jones's and Lee. Got to drive a fast car. Got to watch lots of fast cars being driven.


-My friend Peter came to visit for a week. Always fun hanging out with him. Had a great night of dancing one night.

-Went to DC to help Stacie pack her belongings and move back to KS. Packed the truck. On our drive west, we stopped for a night at my aunt and uncle's new place in Columbus. Very convenient, very well decorated, very yummy food, very fun bunnies to play with! Thanks again, guys! Also, Stacie pointed out some similarities between mom and Aunt Laine that I hadn't noticed before. I have a feeling I will one day be doing the same things Stacie pointed out.

-Stacie's truck arrived. Unpacked it one day. The next day, I got many of my things that are in storage. Loaded a rented truck for said things, drove to Lawrence, unloaded truck. I think my body is still recovering from all of the moving I've done this month.

-Managed to throw a couple parties and go to a lot of bars in between all of these activities.



I actually feel like things are kind of starting to calm down. But, I desperatly need a job. And I need to sign up for classes. And finish my application. And... And... And...

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Like You Stole It?

My updates have been lame recently. My apologies.

For some entertainment, check out this pair of underwear I found while in Florida last weekend. Any ideas what exactly the quote means?

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Kiwi

Jonathon sent me this link. I almost started crying. It is extremely bittersweet.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Thanks Roxie!

While preparing to study today, Roxie sent me a gmat chat message that had this link. And all she said was, "you must go to this, I promise you will enjoy".

So I did, and started laughing like a lunatic. Seriously, the people in this coffee shop probably think I'm crazy and belong in a psych ward because of how hard I was laughing. And I haven't even gone through the whole page yet. I decided I had to instantly share this wonderful site. Enjoy! Be prepared to look like a lunatic.




Have you bought In Rainbows yet? If you haven't, you're not my friend anymore.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

I don't want to be your friend...

...I just want to be your lover.

This is a lyric from Radiohead's 8th song, House of Cards, on In Rainbows. I feel like I should write a proper blog about this cd since last night I was a bit delirious when I posted.

Ok, so I bought the discbox about a week ago. And had been waiting patiently for my email from w.a.s.t.e which was to give me the code or whatever it was I needed to get the newest album. I was with a friend last night who, when he found out I was waiting for said email, insisted we find wireless internet so we could access the new music. We ended up at Latte Land.

So there we were, sitting in my car, outside Latte Land at about 2 in the morning. I was hoping that the now-failing battery on my laptop would last, and that there wouldn't be any problems with the download. Amazingly so, everything went perfectly. In fact, when the little thing that popped up on my screen, right before the last song started, that said, "Your batter is low and will go into sleep mode to preserve battery", I kept saying to myself, "Please last 4 minutes and 40 seconds. Please last 4 minutes and 40 seconds." It did. I heart my laptop.

The second the first song came on, my jaw dropped. This was what I have been waiting for. This album is awesome. Absolutely perfect. I couldn't have asked for it to be any better than what it is. And with every song after, I felt the exact same way. The last song is a perfect ending to an album. I believe I teared up a little bit. (Don't tell...)

What I'm trying to say is, Radiohead is the best band in the entire world. Go buy their download. And don't be skimpy with how much you pay.

In Rainbows

In Rainbows is the newest Radiohead album. I'm just starting my second listen through of it. It is amazing. Buy it now.

Monday, October 8, 2007

I Heart Radiohead.

First of all, if you haven't heard, Radiohead have decided to release a new album without a label. They are awesome. You get to choose how much, or how little, you want to pay for the downloads. I have already bought the discbox, of course.

Secondly, while reading Sunday's comics, I ran across this comic. Good ole Get Fuzzy. Enjoy! Check out the guy's shirt*. Radiohead love is everywhere.



*After adding the comic, I see how small it is. The shirt has a picture of one of Stanley Donwood's bears he created for Radiohead.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Hello

This is an exchange that Stacie and I had today, which I thought was really (realy?) funny. I hope you all enjoy it. (I had asked if she listened to LCD Soundsystem much.)


Stacie: not realy
realy
really
why do i hvae so much trouble
typing really?
realy
realy
i swear i'm hitting the l twice
realy
me: hahahahahahaha
Stacie: really
really
me: this is reallllllly funny to watch
Stacie: realy
me: really
Stacie: i think my keyboard is messed up
me: that word is starting to look really weird
Stacie: i refuse to blame myself.
me: is there really an "a" in really?
the more i stare at it, the weirder it looks
Stacie: don't you hate it when that happens?
there is really
an a
in really
I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want
yo tell me what you want
what you really really want
i wanna
i wanna
i wanna
i wanna
me: now tell me what you want what you really really want
Stacie: i really really realy wanna zig a zag ahh
me: if you wanna be my lovah
Stacie: you've got to get with my friends
(which makes no sense)
silly brits
me: i don't know anymore to that song



The End.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Amazing

Best video ever. Especially if you like Daft Punk as much as I do.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Martha and Usher

Does anyone else think it's weird that Martha Stewart and Usher are in a commercial together?

Friday, September 14, 2007

Ahhh old people

Yesterday, my mom asked me to bring some fruit (a musk melon (blech) and some grapes) over to our neighbor's house. Our neighbors are Joe (92) and Martha (85). When I knocked on the door, Martha answered with yellow stuff all over her fingers. I didn't question, just followed her to the kitchen where Joe was sitting. Apparently they were fixing a broom. Now, for those of you who don't know, Joe recently, last week, had a stroke. On top of that, he can barely see, and can only recently hear because of a fancy hearing aid he just got. I kept forgetting that he could hear me now, and continued my yelling at him. "LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THAT BROOM!" Stuff like that.

Anyway, watching them work on this broom was awesome. Joe was sitting. Martha was standing. Joe was holding the broom, but Martha would basically set him up with everything. She put the screw in the hole, lined the screwdriver up into the screw, and then let Joe start his attempt at screwing in the screw. Every so often, the screwdriver would slip out of the screw, and Martha would have to put it back. About every 5 seconds Joe would ask, "Is it working?". Martha would respond with "Yes, it is. Slowly." Seriously, they said those exact sentences 15 times.

The entire time I had to keep myself from laughing, because I kept thinking about what I would do if I had a broken broom. I would throw the old one away and go buy a new one. I think most people under the age of 80 would do that. It's kind of sad, I guess, but true.

Oh yeah, in case you're wondering: the yellow stuff on Martha's fingers was carpenter's glue that they had used to glue the broom head back into the thingy, so that it could then be screwed in place.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Did you know...

...if you text your name and birthday to 52 52 52, you'll find out who your one true love is?

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Stupid people (part 2)

This is ridiculous.

Why on earth does someone need, or even want, 17 kids? I mean, it's not like it's a long time ago, when people needed a gazillion kids to help with the farming and butchering of animals. And they're not done yet? Come on. I cannot even begin to imagine being pregnant for 10 years of my life. To top it all off, they are home schooled. Weirdos.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Cutest boy in the entire world

I'm studying on a Saturday. Good for me. Anyway, I'm at one of the several coffee shops I frequent and there is a little boy in here, who is dressed so f-ing cute. He's, I don't know, 4? (I'm terrible at guessing ages.) The first things I noticed about him were his cowboy boots. It's pretty hot outside today, which means I wouldn't even dream of wearing my cowboy boots. That, apparently, was not a consideration when this little boy was getting dressed today and decided to put on his boots. In addition to his brown and black cowboy boots, he's got on camouflage shorts. For his shirt, he's wearing a white polo and a black vest. The vest, which is not buttoned, has a quilted front and satin-y back. In the middle of his chest, just below the buttons on his polo, there is a gigantic sunflower sticker. To top it all off, he is wearing a paper crown on his head, that I believe he just made. And this is no crappy paper crown. Instead of the typical "decorate your crown with crayons", this crown has designs made out of that weird foam stuff. These pieces were then glued onto the crown. He's adorable. And he keeps dancing. Not to any music. Just dancing to the beats in his head.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Best quote of last week

"Being single is not synonymous with being mentally impaired."

Monday, August 20, 2007

Locker room gossip

After working out the other day, I stopped in the locker room to pick up my purse and whatever else was in my locker. As I walked in, I noticed a woman, probably in her late 40s early 50s, fanning herself with the locker. She caught my eye and we shared a chuckle. She said, "God I hate these. Hot flashes are awful." I said something like, "Yeah, I'm not looking forward to them."

Lucky for me, I was wearing my beloved IHSB t shirt. If you haven't seen this shirt (of which Stacie and Lee are the proud creators) it has two big "X"s on the back. The woman says to me (referring to my shirt), "Were you in a sorority?" I said, "Oh no... This is a shirt my friends made up. The two "X"s on the back stand for the female chromosomes, and the letters on the front stand for I Hate Stupid Bastards." She looked at me with a little confusion, but then proceeded to talk about her daughter who was in a sorority at Oregon State. Over the next 20 minutes I learned that:

-her daughter just got married
-she graduated 2 years ago
-she married someone who works for Microsoft
-her husband took a new job which moved them to Seattle
-his income alone is more than this woman and her husband make, combined
-her daughter and son in-law didn't think about cost of living in Seattle vs. Oregon, so they are actually losing money even though he got a huge pay increase
-she's an only child
-being in a sorority cost a ton of money
-the parents paid for everything for her


I think I learned more about their family, but I can't remember now. I was thinking though, that if I was a stalker, I could easily find this girl. I don't know, I almost felt bad for this woman. It was completely obvious that she really wanted someone to talk to. So, I feel this was my good deed for that day. I'm just shocked at how much she told me, and I didn't even give you all the details about her menopause. Perhaps that'll be another blog. Only if you're lucky.

p.s. The lead singer from the New Pornographers needs to get his teeth fixed.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Happy early birthday to me! (and Stacie!)

In college, Stacie, Amanda, Paul and I took a class by Dr. Dennis Dailey called Human Sexuality in Everyday Life. It was amazing. So informative. Well, Stacie called me tonight and said, "I have something very important to tell you: Dr. Dailey has a blog!"

Needless to say, I screamed. I've always wanted to retake his course. Or at least be able to get advice from him. This will be so great!!! I suggest everyone read this blog and learn. Start from the beginning and it will all make sense.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

FYI

I started 2 entries a few days ago, finished one yesterday and one today. Unfortunately, they don't show up as new entries. What I'm saying is, scroll down and you will find them. One is "You do the crossword too" and the other is "I like Lenexa".

Danke.

Friday, July 27, 2007

How NOT to get a date

Last night I went with my friend Lauren to see one of her friend's bands play. I had been in Larryville all day helping Meghann pack up her apartment. It was 96 degrees or so, I had been running up and down stairs all day, and was just altogether gross and tired. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling too hot. I had to go directly from Lawrence to the show, so there was no time to change.

So I pick Lauren up, and we head to the bar. We walk in as the band is starting and there are about 15 people there. I sit down at a table while Lauren goes to talk to some people she recognizes. As I'm sitting at the table, I look to my right, and as I turn back towards facing straight ahead, I realize that someone is standing at my table right next to me. I jump a little, because I wasn't expecting it. The guy laughs and says he didn't mean to scare me. I said it was okay. Then he starts talking to me. (not my type, by the way.) Fault #1: He's smoking, and because of the way the air is flowing, it is blowing directly into my face. I keep moving, rather dramatically, to get away from it, and after about a minute or so, he catches on and moves his cigarette. Fault #2: He is a close-talker. For those of you who don't know, close-talkers are those who get right in your face, uncomfortably close, when talking to you. I don't think anyone likes a close-talker. And seriously, the music wasn't that loud. And if it is, I don't want you talking directly into my face; talk into MY EAR. While doing the close-talking, I realized fault #3: Halitosis. Seriously. If you're going to be talking inches from my face, especially if you're trying to impress me, PUT IN A MINT BEFORE APPROACHING.

Obviously, things were not going well for this poor chap. He was kind of nice, I will give him that. But "kind of nice" is not going to cut it. At this point Lauren realizes what's been going on and comes over. He goes to get another PBR and she says, "I'm going to stand really close so that he can't stand there anymore." This was a good plan, but it left my right side open. I can actually handle that. I have no problem turning my back on someone and completely ignoring them. In a polite way, of course. Unfortunately, the skinny bastard didn't get the clue, because when he came back, he squeezed his way back in between us! Some of you may be saying, "Jennifer, that's a fault!" but, I give him credit for his persistence. I mean, I can see myself doing something like that. (Although usually I'm welcome to squeeze in between people.) Okay, fault #4: after his squeezing back in, he was doing more small talk and said, "So, do you live with Jennifer?" (he was talking about Lauren) I said, "I am Jennifer. Her name is Lauren." He then proceeded to get really apologetic about it. I told him not to worry about it, that it happens, but seriously. If you think you like someone, and you are planning on asking them out, do your best to REMEMBER THEIR NAME.

Hmmm, so let's see. Lauren (after checking with me, like any good friend would do) left me alone with him again, and I knew what was coming. He instantly leans on the table, does his bad-breath-close-talking and says, "So, I think we should hang out." Before being able to stop myself I said, "You do?" and he said yes. I said, "Well, I'm not dating right now." And he said, "Well, we could still go out." And I said, "I'm leaving the country, so I'm not dating right now." As I'm sure you can all tell, I'm trying (kind of) to be nice about rejecting him. But he does not stop. Fault #5 comes during this conversation: he says, "Well, I'm not looking for a serious relationship." (As if I had suggested that I had wanted one.)

Okay, here is why I believe this is a fault. I have absolutely no problem with people not wanting to be serious. But, in this situation, it was as if he had blatantly said, "I really just want to see if I'm going to get any action from you." Not okay to admit right away. I mean, who, when meeting someone at a bar and possibly exchanging numbers, thinks, "This guy seems nice. Let's go straight from not knowing each other, to having a serious relationship!" In addition, I had said, "I'm not dating right now." In my book, and I believe most of my friend's books, dating does not mean serious relationship. It means, going out every once in awhile, but possibly with multiple people, and definitely not anything exclusive. Therefore, his response was completely wrong for what I had been saying.

Finally, Lauren comes back. And he goes to drink his sorrows away. But we're not done with his faults yet! A little while later, he comes over to talk to some friends. During their conversation, of which I'm obviously within earshot, I hear them talking about boners. Fault #6. Without a doubt. Guys, here is a bit of advice for you: DON'T TALK ABOUT BONERS WITH YOUR FRIENDS IN FRONT OF A GIRL YOU JUST MET, WHO YOU ALSO WANT TO IMPRESS. Granted, at this point, I think he'd figured out that I wasn't going to go out with him, so maybe he didn't care.

I think that was about it. But wow. Come on. This may turn into my own version of What Not To Wear. But with guys. And dating.

You do the crossword too!

One of my all-time favorite movies is Kicking and Screaming. My wonderful brother and sister-in-law bought me the DVD for Christmas. Before that, I had been watching a tape that Jonathon had copied a long time ago. If I remember correctly, the lighting and sound on it keeps fading in and out. I believe it was a way to deter people from copying tapes. It didn't work for us, of course.

Anyway, Kicking and Screaming is a very quotable movie. I find myself quoting it pretty close to a daily basis. Luckily, most of my friends have seen it and understand what I'm saying. (If you get my meaning.) Of course, there are the times when I'll offer to pay a friend for a boring story I've just told, realize they haven't seen the movie, and then explain to them why I'm offering to pay. I usually just end up saying, "You just have to see the movie."

Recently, I've been doing the New York Times crossword. I did the crossword a lot in college, usually during a really boring class. For awhile I stopped, and then when I worked at the salon in Denver, I was bored for most of the day and would do the crossword online. Anyway, here in KC the paper is delivered every day, so I actually get my pen out and do it. I was having a tougher time with one recently, and was stuck on the one section. There was one that I thought I should know. It was 4 letters, and the clue was "Gutter Site". I couldn't get it for the longest time. I must have been thinking too hard about it. Then, I got one of the words perpendicular to it, which gave me the 3rd letter of the answer to "Gutter Site": "V". The instant I saw that, I knew what the answer was. Of course, this was thanks to my many, many viewings of Kicking and Screaming.

There is one scene where Max and Kate are on their first date. It's the end of the date and Max and Kate are standing on the sidewalk, in front of her door. Things seem fairly awkward, like neither of them know what to do next, or even if they want to do anything next. Then Max says, "You've got nice eaves." Kate, looking elated and shocked, says, "You do the crossword too!" This was all they needed, because then they both loosened up and made out.

Needless to say, the word I was looking for in my crossword was "eave". It made me so happy. This is the first time I have ever actually had that in any of my crosswords. To top it off, Sunday's crossword had it again. Only this time, the clue was "Places where leaves gather". I instantly knew, thanks to my love of Kicking and Screaming.

I like Lenexa

Here in KC, people who are proud of the area they are from like to put stickers on their cars proclaiming which area that is. For example people from Brookside have "BKS" stickers on their cars. I've always thought it was a little weird, but never really cared too much.

Well, the other day, I was driving home from a coffee shop that I've been frequenting in Lenexa. I pulled up behind this tan Toyota Camry and waited for the light to change. As I was sitting there, I couldn't help but notice this big, red bumper sticker. It was placed, of course, on the bumper. The lower, right hand corner. This was the only bumper sticker on the car, so it was very prominent. Also, it was not even close to level. It was like someone had taken the backing off of the sticker, closed their eyes, and just smacked it right onto the bumper, leaving it where it landed. In this case, at a severe angle. The wording on the sticker?:

"I LIKE LENEXA"

It was perfect. Kind of like a big "F You" to everyone from Brookside.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The Kill Point

Everyone must watch the new show on Spike TV called "The Kill Point". It premiered this past Sunday. The reason everyone must watch this is because a friend from Ohio is in it!

Her name is Laurel Johnson, and she plays the wife of Donnie Wahlberg's character. Yes, she is the wife of a former New Kids on the Block member. Well, kind of. But man am I jealous. I would have given anything to have been a girlfriend of one of the NKOTB, let alone a wife!

A quick background of how we know the Johnsons. Mom and Amy (Laurel's mom) met in lamaze class when Mom was pregnant with Jonathon and Amy with Laurel. A few years later Simon was born (Laurel's brother) and then I came. We have been friends since age 0. Simon sent this email out giving all the info about the show: (Hopefully you're okay with this, Simon...)


"Premiering this Sunday, July 22 at 9 PM (EST), The Kill Point, on SpikeTV.

My sister, Laurel Johnson, plays the wife of the character played by Donnie Walhberg.

Her episodes air on August 12 and August 26, but feel free to watch the entire series to know what is going on.

Now that I've finished my sister's dirty work, all y'all can go on enjoying your day!

Thanks,

Simon"


So, everyone watch!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Crazy Punjabis

Jonathon was in town this weekend for his friend Ashish's engagement party. I ended up meeting up with the whole crew at the Levee. The group included: Me, Jonathon, Shaun, Lisa, Ashish, his fiance, his brother Neil, and about 15 other Indians. After a few hours at the Levee, we decided, at the insistence of Julia (one of Ashish's friends), that it was time for Joe's Pizza in Westport. So, we started the process of gathering a caravan and working our way to Westport.

40 minutes and a 1/2 mile later, the caravan arrived at the Blockbuster parking lot. It was close to closing time, so there was no time to mess around. Everyone (at this point Jonathon and I were the only whiteys) got out of the cars, and Jonathon and I started walking. The parking lot was around the corner from where we needed to be going, so Jonathon and I started walking. About a block later, Jonathon and I realize that he and I are the only ones walking towards Joe's Pizza. We turn around and go back to the parking lot. Just before we get there, Jonathon says, "I bet they're all standing there in a big group, just waiting."

Sure enough, we stick our heads around the corner, and that was exactly what they were doing. After fully rounding the corner, the Indians saw us, and instantly started coming towards us. We turned back around, and started once again towards Joe's. Jonathon and I cracked up, comparing them to lemmings. All they needed was a tiny glimpse of us, and they were on their way.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Hmmmm...

I opened up this page to write a new entry, but have been staring at it with nothing to say. Oh well. Guess I'll go to bed. Buona notte!

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Cuz we're the Young Ones

Anyone remember this show?

Jonathon and I used to watch it a lot. I believe one of my Christmas presents to Jonathon was a set of videos of the tv show.

I don't know what made me think about it. But it was funny.

Good story.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Blech

Random facts because I don't feel like studying:

-I'm now on the DVD section of my GMAT studying. The actors in it are really weird. It seems like they have been told to mess up from time to time, because it happens a lot. More than if they were just improv-ing, I believe.


-Meghann sent me this link and this one, which are both really funny. You should check them out.


-This weekend is Megan's wedding. I'm going to risk drinking while on my medicine. (Technically the doc said it was semi-safe.)


-Still no job.


-Oh, my god. A guy just walked into this coffee shop in a pair of overalls. They are only buckled on one side, leaving the other side hanging down. Also, he is wearing nothing underneath. Luckily, I'm not close enough to see if he's got underwear on. Ew.


That's all for now. Ciao!

Monday, July 9, 2007

I don't care what you think

Tonight I went to dinner and a movie with Bucho. At dinner, while alone at the table, the waitress came up and asked if we were done. I said yes because we were catching a movie. She asked which movie and I told her. (Ocean's 13, for those of you curious.) Anyway, she said that she hadn't seen it yet, but that she wanted to. Then she asked if I'd seen Knocked Up yet. I said yes, and she said, "Oh good. I thought it was great." She then walked away to get the check. While she was gone, the guy sitting nearby (who had obviously overheard our conversation) asked, "You're going to see Ocean's 13?" I responded yes, confirming what he already knew. Then he proceeded to give me his opinion on the movie: "Ah. Well, I thought it was alright. It started off kind of slow, but the ending made up for it." To keep him from spoiling it for me I said, "Don't ruin it!" And he said, "Oh, I won't. Just wanted you to know it was alright but not as action packed as the one before it." Me: "Oh. Okay." What I was thinking: I don't care what you think. Don't give me your opinion. Whether or not you liked the movie is not going to change my decision to see/not see it. But thanks anyway for your unwanted advice.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Stupid people

I have to vent about this stupid woman I saw yesterday. I was going into a bookstore that has one set of double doors, a vestibule, and then another set of double doors. After having already entered the first set of doors, I was about to enter the second set of doors on the right side, like we do in America. As I was opening the door, I saw a woman on the inside of the store, waiting to come out the door I was entering. There were several people behind me, and no one behind her. I watched her waiting patiently, as I walk through the door. I kept watching her (seriously as soon as I entered, I stepped to the side, and watched her with a dumbfounded look on my face), asking myself why in the hell she wouldn't use the door to her right instead of waiting for the door on her left, that many people were using to enter the store. She kept waiting and waiting. Finally, another person who wanted to leave the store stepped around her, also looking at her with confusion, opened the door to the right, and walked out while she still waited. I don't get it.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Withdrawal

I'm having withdrawal... from Jack Bauer. I don't know what to do. And watching the previous seasons only helps so much. Every time I look at an elliptical, I think of Jack. Every time I think about who's going to save me in case sentox is released in a store/ restaurant I'm in, I think of Jack. Until next season, this picture will have to hold me over:


(and yes, I just spent about 2 hours figuring out photoshop)

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Bikers and reggae?

Tonight my friend Lauren and I went to see The Sex Police play at a place in south OP called Fuel. This place is obviously a biker bar when they are not having a reggae band play on their outdoor stage. Needless to say, it was an interesting crowd. The waitresses were scantily clad and looked underage. The bikers were all wearing leather. There were people who had just come to eat, and then ended up getting a live concert. There were a handful of people who appeared to be there on purpose. And then there were the weirdos.

I think my favorite part of the night was when the guitarist said, "The next song is a sad one: all you emo kids pull up the hoods of your sweatshirts and be sad." Then he proceeded to mime doing so and made a really funny "I'm vulnerable" face. That's the best I can describe it. It was really funny.

By the way, today I saved my second box turtle of the summer from the middle of the road. (This is a fairly regular occurrence during the summer since we live near some woods.) The first one I saved was a few weeks ago. He (or she) was not on a very busy road, but I figured he should still be moved to a safe spot on the grass. This one, though, was on a very busy street near my house. I pulled up to the stop sign, made a stop and looked at what I originally thought was a rock or some debris in the road. The reason I didn't think it was a turtle right away is because it was tiny! Seriously, his shell was probably 2 inches in diameter. Anyway, I stopped and stared for a second (from my car) trying to figure out what it was, then I realized it was a teeny, tiny turtle! I jumped out of my car, picked him up (hoping he hadn't already been run over) and put him in my car. I decided the best thing for him would be to bring him down near our house, and put him in the clearing by the woods. At this point, I still wasn't sure if he had been injured or not, so I tried looking in his shell. I could see his little eyes and his head and feet tucked far in, so I assumed he was just scared. Anyway, I put him down and watched him for awhile, with no movement. I decided to leave, and continue my day. When I came back from being gone for several hours, I went to the spot where I'd left him to see if he was still there, hoping he wasn't. If he was I figured that would mean he had been run over and was dead. Well, when I went to the spot, he was gone! Yea for the turtle! (If anyone ruins this for me and says, "it was probably eaten by a hawk" or something, I will be very sad, so please don't. (Do hawks even eat turtles?))

Monday, July 2, 2007

High schoolers

I've been going to several coffee shops recently to do my studying for the GMAT. One of them is located in Lenexa, and is infested with high school students. It is so bizarre listening to their conversations. And seeing how they dress. Maybe it's just been a long time since I've been in high school, but it seems like there aren't any clicks anymore. It seems to me that there is just one big group now. Every single person ranging from 14-18 dresses the exact same. The guys wear tight jeans, with tight tee shirts. And they all have long hair that is combed perfectly to cover their eyes. I even heard one of the little fellows ask his friend, "Dude, where'd you get your jeans? I am going to take them from you." Seriously. And they aren't gay. I can't even come close to imagining my guy friends in high school saying something like that.

The girls all dress like they're trying to look either worse than the others, or just more out-there. I think the guys may actually be trying harder than the girls. I think everyone buys everything they wear on their top haves at thrift stores. (I really don't have any problem with a little thrift-store-shopping, but for every shirt you own? Come on.) And the jeans they wear on their bottom haves are probably $150 a pair. Very interesting. Don't get me started on the girl's hairstyles. It's as if they purposely miss chunks of their hair when cutting it. It looks odd, and I don't like it. But, I'm not the one who chooses to have it, and I'm sure they don't care about my opinion. Anyway, I'm rambling, and I'm sure you all understand what I'm talking about. I feel old.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Moolah

I need money. I would like to find a 9-5 M-F job that I don't absolutely hate. It would be nice if I used some of the languages I know, or one of the degrees I have, but not necessary. In fact, I assume that's not going to happen. This job is only for a year, so I really just want anything that will help build my resume un peu. Also, since my main goal would be saving money for Italy, I would like to find something that pays more than minimum wage. Any suggestions? Anyone want to hire me?

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Oklahoma City


This past weekend I went to Oklahoma City for my friend Megan's bachelorette party. For those of you who don't know, I have 4 friends from elementary school with whom I'm still very good friends. (The picture shows Amy, me, Megan, Christina and Natalie. From left to right.) Christina was married last August, Amy is engaged, and Megan is getting married in a few weeks. (Natalie and I are in a race for last one married.)

Anyway, we (Natalie and I) arrived in OKC on Thursday night. Christina lives in OKC so she picked us up at the airport and let us stay at her apartment with her. Friday the three of us went to the pool and then got ready for dinner with Megan, her fiance, her cousins and two other friends who had come down for the party from KC. Friday night was an early night because we knew that Saturday night was going to be cr-a-zee.

Saturday we picked Amy up from the airport just in time to go home and get ready for the evening events. We met at Megan's cousin's house, ate dinner, opened presents, and then jumped into the Excursion limo to take us to the bars. I alone drank wine, champagne, beer, vodka and shots. Needless to say, it was a crazy night. I have decided that the best bachelorette parties are the ones that end up with the bachelorette passed out in the limo on the way home. This one ended that way.

It was a great time, and I'm so happy I went. Now it is back to studying for the GMAT. Yippee.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Air Guitar Nation

Since mom was in Columbus for the last week, Dad and I had some nice bonding time this weekend. Saturday we went to see Air Guitar Nation, which was pretty amazing. It is a documentary about the national air guitar competition, and the world air guitar championship. Very entertaining. Leave it to my dad to know about a movie like this.

Anyway, after the movie, we decided to go to Lill's, a tiny bistro about a block up from the movie theater. Since the weather was gorgeous, we sat outside on their patio. To enter the restaurant, you have to go through an iron gate, up a flight of stairs which lands you on their brick patio. Then if you want to dine inside, you can enter the restaurant. So basically, where we were sitting was a level above the street. (I have a reason for telling you this.) While trying to choose a wine, the owner came out to tell us that the one we had chosen was not available. Just as she was about to suggest a new bottle, we all heard this very loud, clanking noise. It kind of sounded like a truck or car dragging something, like a fire hydrant. And it was coming down the street, towards us. Of course, it had all of our attention, so as we were trying to figure out, we saw the culprit. A small to medium sized dog was running down the middle of the street with a table attached to it's leash. And from the sounds of it, it was an iron table. Apparently, the owner had taken his dog to a coffee shop, tied it to a table, and gone inside for a minute. The dog started running, with the table following it, and kept on going. It seems that the noise was scaring the dog so he was running to get away from it, but in doing so, the noise kept following him, meaning he kept running. It was just very bizarre. Instead of suggesting a wine, the woman went running after the dog, eventually calming it down enough to stop it. Moral of the story: make sure you tie your dog to a secure object. Oh, and go see Air Guitar Nation.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

I've made a decision

And hopefully, I will stick with this one for awhile.

I, JSN, found what I believe is the perfect job for me. I have never in my life said that sentence seriously. Except about being a rock star. But, I always knew that was a little far fetched.

This is a full time position and a part time MBA program in Asolo, Italy. (about an hour and a half away from Venice.) The position is as Campus Life Coordinator for the undergraduate students studying abroad. I would basically be expected to plan events, make schedules, advise students, and work with faculty. (yes, I copy and pasted some of that.) Then on the weekends I would be doing my MBA classes. I am so excited about this. Never before have I had an answer when someone has asked me what I want to do. This is my answer. It will be a 2 year contract. One small problem with this is that the position has been filled for this year. :(

Next year, however, is a different story. I went to KU to visit with the program coordinator, and she seemed very enthusiastic about me trying for this for next year. So, this means that I will be staying in KC for a year, with a job, saving moolah for my time in Italy. I decided that New York can be put on hold for a little bit while I spend some time in Italy. Probably easier for me to do Italy now, rather than later. When I come back I can go to NYC, assuming I'll still want to...

Okay, so that's the update for now. Hopefully I'll have something else exciting to write about soon.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

F@#$ all that noise

I'm sure most of you have heard about the girl who was taken from the Target parking lot near Oak Park Mall. If not, read this.

She just graduated from Shawnee Mission West, mine and my brother's high school. The Target she was at is a Target that my mom and I go to all the time. Usually alone. This happened to her while it was still daylight.

It makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it. Normally, these things really bother me, but then you make it this close to home, and it just makes it that much more scary.

I'd like to think that I am a very aware person; of myself and of my surroundings. And that, if someone was going to try and attack me, I would put up a damn good fight. But, unfortunately, you NEVER KNOW. And this scares the hell out of me. I mean, is it going to get to the point where we (and I'm probably just talking about women here) can't go anywhere alone, ever again? Even during the middle of the fucking day? In one of the safest places in the country? (don't know if that last statement is entirely correct, but I imagine it's close.)

Anyway, I guess my point is that everyone needs to watch each other's backs. This really can happen to anyone. But, I think if people become more proactive about it, and help anyone who looks like they're in need, we really can make a difference. I'm going to go buy some more pepper spray and look for another self defense class to take. Maybe mom and I will finally go to the shooting range, like we've been talking about doing.

Monday, June 4, 2007

Advice

Well, I just got some excellent advice in response to my last entry. I would try to paraphrase, but I think I may just copy and paste what he said:


"I would argue the 'shame' is only imputed by two conditions: 1) there is something to be shameful about (a subjective state of mind of the 'walk'-er), and 2) someone you know sees you (why care what a stranger imagines?). Unless you look guilty for a reason AND someone you know catches you, any spectator is only guessing. One could have just as likely had an amazing adventure that happened to leave them cruising home under those conditions. Walk with confidence and let the church-goer live their dull life while you get a cup of coffee..."

Isn't that awesome?! I agree with this advice %100. (yes, this advice comes from a lawyer; and no, it is not my brother.)

Question

Is it still the "walk of shame" if you didn't get any action?

I ask because of my weekend. My friend Natalie and I went out on the plaza and then I spent the night at her house. There was a 3rd person at her house as well, so when I woke up in the morning at 7:00 am, I decided to just walk several blocks to my car so as to avoid waking them.

Anyway, I was basically wearing the same clothes from the night before, sans my high heels (I borrowed Natalie's flip flops). Did not have any sunglasses to hide my "last night's makeup" face. Had my going out purse, and was carrying my shoes. Had I been wearing my shoes (or carrying them and walking barefoot), it would have been a full fledged walk of shame.

And then there is the question that I have. The walk of shame, for those who don't know, is usually reserved for people who have spent the night at someone's place without any toiletries or clothes for the next day. It's usually not planned. Which means the next morning, when walking to the car, or to your own place, people around you can normally tell what happened the night before.

I was wondering this as I was walking to my car on Sunday morning. Did all the people passing me think that I had gotten wasted, made a bad decision by ending up at some random guy's place, and then was making an early escape at 7 in the morning? I wanted to tell everyone that it had been planned, and that I had just never gotten around to getting my pajamas from my car. They were probably all church go-ers too. Great. I can just hear the parents taking complete advantage of that scene: "See little Amy? This is why we go to church on Sundays. So we can avoid looking like that harlot who is obviously wearing last night's clothes. God save her."

So, any opinions? Answers? I really am curious what other people think.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Tight(er) jeans

I have a confession to make. I love the fact that guys are wearing tighter jeans. And I am not talking about the manorexics (thank you Jonathon and Andrea for teaching me that word) who wear women's skinny jeans. I am talking about jeans like the ones Diesel has. They are pretty tight around the butt and then get looser as they go down the leg. But, they are never at any point too loose. Capisci? Anyway, I have caught myself staring at lots of butts recently. In fact, several people have caught me staring. I really couldn't care less. It's about time, I say. Girls like to look too!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

My brother...


...has a music blog. Everyone should check it out. He actually sounds like a real music critic! And really, who wouldn't trust this guy's opinion?

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

What Not To Wear update!!!

Recently I have been going to a ton of concerts here in KC. I have many friends in bands, and I love supporting them. My concert schedule has been pretty full. I've seen most of these bands multiple times since coming home in April:
The Roseline, The Belles, Olympic Size, Dirtnap, OK Jones, Roman Numerals, The Republic Tigers, Moire, The Life and Times, The Sex Police
...and probably more that I can't remember right now.

It has been a blast seeing everyone play again. I think it's pretty amusing, but awesome, how intertwined all of these bands are. For example, let's take the band Dirtnap. From this band, we get members of The Stella Link, Roman Numerals, Olympic Size, and The Sex Police. It's really neat how supportive all the local bands are of each other.

Anyway, my whole point of this is about Sunday night at Fred P. Otts. I went, with 7 of Caleb's friends*, to see Dirtnap and Roman Numerals play. They were very good performances by both bands. Apparently the drummer, Pete, is moving soon, so all the bands are trying to get in a few more shows before he's gone. Being a long weekend, and two great bands, the tiny bar and grill was packed. I was upstairs for most of it but ventured down to say a quick hello to the band members I know. While downstairs I believe I had my first sighting of a subject from What Not To Wear! I can't remember her name, and I tried finding it online, but couldn't. I just kept staring at her. She had the same hair that they did when she was on the show. And now she has a wedding or engagement ring. Perhaps she should thank the show for helping her find a mate. Wow. I feel like I built that up a little more than I should have. Anyway. Good night.

*Sunday, May 27, was the year anniversary of Caleb's death. I went to Wichita to be with his friends and family. It was extremely bittersweet, with an emphasis on the bitter. I met many of his friends for the first time. Several of them live in KC, so I invited them to the show at Fred P. Otts. Very surreal hanging out with all of his friends. Many of them are very like him. I kept semi-thinking he was going to walk in the room. God, do I miss him. :(

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

How odd

So I just saw a commercial for something called Cube World. It is really weird. Apparently these stick figures, when attached to each other, interact with other stick figures. The commercial showed one stacked on top of several others. And the one on top lifts his leg and something (I imagine pee (?)) falls from between his legs, and I believe goes into the cubes below him. The kid in the commercial sees this happening and says, "Gross!". My thoughts exactly.

Coachella

Okay. Now that I've had several weeks to decompress from 3 packed days of music, I am ready to share with all of you.

Day 1: We showed up in time for a little bit of Silversun Pickups. Watched a little bit of them, and then walked around the festival area to check out the layout and get some dinner. We then caught a little bit of Arctic Monkeys. Once they finished, we checked out Peaches for a little bit. Then we went back to the main stage to set up for the rest of the night. A certain friend of mine known as Coach :) told me that we had to see the Jesus and Mary Chain, so that's who we saw next. They were really good. Although at one point a girl joined them onstage to sing. Both Andrea and I thought her voice sounded not so good. When we got home later that night, we realized that it was Scarlett Johansson. I believe after that we just hung out and waited for Interpol. They were, of course, awesome. I've heard from some people, maybe just one moron, that they are awful live, but this is not the case at all. They were great. It was a perfect set up for Bjork. Bjork is tiny. Probably right around my size. But for some reason, she managed to make more noise than I possibly imagined she would make. Now, I understand that she's technically not making all of the noise during the concert. But she is the one who created it. And when it's all put together, it is L-O-U-D.

Day 2: We were walking into the festival as Peter Bjorn and John were finishing. I heard them play "Young Folks" which was enough for me. Then Andrea and I split off from Jonathon, Josh and Kevin so we could watch the Decemberists. After a little bit of them, we went to get some food and heard Andrew Bird on the way. As we were eating, we listened to !!!. Then we met up with most of the crowd for the Arcade Fire. They were awesome to watch because they all, especially this one girl, looked like they were having a great time performing. I love that; when bands look like they are still having fun making music for people. Okay, so then we saw some Blonde Redhead, and then went to set up for Red Hot Chili Peppers. Anthony Kiedis is in amazing shape. I liked his body, but I didn't like his molester-stash. Overall, I was not terribly thrilled with them. They seemed to stay away from their older songs. I understand the whole, "we have a new album, so we want to play songs from it" but come on. I will give them credit for playing Under the Bridge. That was pretty f-ing awesome. Hmmm... So, next was the Black Keys for a bit. Then was home.

Day 3: We arrived in time to hear Willie Nelson. Then we heard a little bit of Placebo. Next was Air, which was a pretty big let down. They were about a half hour late getting started, and then they just didn't sound that good. So we took off to get some dinner. While eating, there was a band nearby that sounded pretty good, but we weren't sure who it was. So we went to check it out, and it was a Swedish band called the Teddybears. They were awesome. Tons of energy, and there were people onstage with teddy bear heads. Then was Rage Against the Machine, and last was the Lemonheads.

Overall it was a great time. As Jonathon said, you have to remember that the reason you miss some really great performances is because you are already seeing other really great performances.

Okay. Enough of Coachella.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Mother's Day Makeovers?

Nebraska Furniture Mart is giving away Mother's Day Makeovers. You can either get your hair cut, get it styled or get a makeup touch-up. Or go buy a couch.

Do you know what mom would do if I took her there? 1) She would probably laugh hysterically, assuming I was playing a mean joke on her. 2) She would kill me once she realized I was actually going to let someone at NEBRASKA FURNITURE MART do her hair. I am almost very tempted to take her there, just to see what would happen.

But seriously, who thinks of that? Employee of NFM, "Hey! Here's an idea! On mother's day, in addition to selling furniture and appliances, let's do makeup! I'm sure they won't end up looking like clowns."

What Not To Wear

Anyone seen the show? I've only seen a few episodes, thanks to my new-found cable, but I love it. I wish I could be on it. No, no, no... Not as a guest, but as one of the hosts. They are so mean. And it's awesome. They very often bring the guests to tears. And they really aren't trying to be that mean, they are just being honest. It reminds me a lot of my mom. For example, I was trying to go out to dinner with mom and dad the other night. I was all dressed and ready to go, and mom said, "Honey, those shoes make you look like a hooker." So I took them off and will never wear them thanks to the fact that every time I look at them I will hear, "...you look like a hooker". I'm taking them to Arizona Trading Co. that soonest chance that I have.

Anyway, back to What Not To Wear. Here are a few quotes from Ms. London:

"Whatever you are trying to hide by wearing a feed sack only looks worse than it actually is."

"That is not a good look. You don't need a second set of butt cheeks on your clothes."

"The girls can't be supported by a thin piece of fabric."

"You gotta be kidding me with the velcro."

"Is that a pillowcase?" (when referring to someone's top)

"We're getting some mixed feelings here. It's either 'I dress like a pre-teen, or I dress like I'm 80'."


She is awesome. And necessary. Clinton is amazing too. And only in my re-watching of some shows as research for this blog did I realize he has just as many catty remarks. His are just much more under the radar. If you haven't seen it, watch it. I think we should all be as honest as them.

Monday, May 7, 2007

WEIRD.

So I never, ever, ever have watched the O.C. Today, though, I was flipping through channels and decided to stop on it (for some unknown reason). Anyway, the scene that I saw (seriously I only watched like 1 1/2 minutes) was of a high school boy walking into a room where a woman was setting the table as an older man was making a salad. This was what I saw:

-boy enters room and says, "Hi Mr. Nichol."

-woman says, "You should really call him Caleb."

Yes, there is a character in the show, of which I've only seen 2 minutes, named Caleb Nichol. Wow.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

La la land

I just spent a week in LA and Palm Springs/Indio, California. It was a blast!!! I got to hang out with my brother and sister in law. Allow me to describe my visit:

Saturday: arrive in LA, bachelorette party with Andrea, sighting of one of the judges from American Idol (Randy)

Sunday: went to the Getty and saw an amazing installation by Tim Hawkinson called the Uberorgan, dinner at Pane e Vino where we saw Quentin Tarantino

Monday: took Andrea to the hospital for a minor surgery on her ear, went to the Grove shopping center, had a great lunch, saw Jenna Elfman, went to Melrose, shopped with Hilary Swank at Marc Jacobs,

Tuesday: went to the Beverly Center with Andrea, met Jonathon for lunch, went back to the Beverly Center, saw Tara Reid at MAC, dinner with Kyle and Erin in Silverlake

Wednesday: had a wonderful 4 hour session at the spa with Andrea, met Jonathon and Bill for dinner at Cobras and Matadors (or Cobras and Dragons, as I like to call it), Michelle Rodgriguez was eating with us (not really, but at the same time as us...)

Thursday: did a little more shopping (first at the Grove and then on Rodeo), saw Dita Von Teese at Anthropologie, had lunch on Rodeo, saw C-Low, brought Jonathon pinkberry at his office, had dinner with Nicci (a girl I met while living in Italy), Daria (Nicci's friend), Kevin (Jonathon's friend), Jonathon and Andrea at Luna Park

Friday: left for COACHELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: days of poolside drinking, music listening and lots of eating

Monday: left for LAX, had lunch at El Cholo, saw a friend of mine on the plane ride home from Denver to KC

Basically, my trip was full of lots of eating, drinking, shopping and being merry. I will probably tell more details in other blogs, but that is an update for now.

Monday, April 16, 2007

:(


I miss Caleb. Being in Lawrence, like I have been the past few days, doesn't help. Everywhere I go, I have so many memories with Caleb. This is hard.

Monday, April 9, 2007

By the way...

...anyone watch 24 tonight?!?!?!?! Jack is unstoppable. Why isn't he real?

West Side Story in Overland Park

Something interesting happened today as mom and I were walking Nick to his car.

Nick was in town because I invited him up to have Easter Brunch with us. We had a good time hanging out Saturday night with Lee, then Sunday brunch was fun (with me suffering a bit from bad shrimp from the night before). After brunch we were both exhausted from having only slept a few hours, so we watched the Formula 1 race in Malaysia and relaxed on the couch with Chili Pepper (his chiauau). Instead of driving home on Sunday, he stayed another night and went home today.

Mom and I were just about to leave for some shoe shopping, but before doing so we decided to help Nick carry all of his things to his car. Before even opening the door, I heard some loud bass coming from a car that I figured was just driving by. I was wrong. For those of you who don't know, my parents live on a dead end. Well, after stepping outside, we realized that about 5 cars had stopped at the end of this dead end. Not a usual occurrence. These cars had formed as much of a circle as the space allowed. Out of each car came at least 2 people. They formed a circle and two guys came to the middle of the circle. Now, at this point mom, Nick and I were all discussing whether or not they had guns and were going to start shooting each other or just fighting. Unlike my title suggests, there was no dancing. Only two guys read to fight. They started fighting while we were still outside, but we went back in and did what any normal person would do: we ran to the office so we could get a better view without being seen. It was a good fight. They ended up on the ground a few times and both got some good punches in, but other than that the fight didn't last much longer. And it was very apparent who won. The loser was patted on the back by his friend, and seemed to keep his pride by insisting on driving his own car away.

I'm guessing it was gang related because they were all mexican and looked too old to be in high school. Ahhh, good old northern jo co.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Why is it?

I'm leaving Denver in 2 days. One of those days, I am packing up the truck etc... Now, I have no problem with that. My problem is, out of the past month or so, it has been absolutely GORGEOUS weather, and it decides to start snowing TODAY?!?!?! Not only today, but tomorrow and saturday are also supposed to get snow. Those are the only 3 days that Meghann is going to be here, and it's going to be colder than it has been recently, all while snowing. Sunday, on the other hand, is supposed to be f-ing 60. WTF?

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Moving

Well, I have 3 full days left in Denver. And man are they busy.
Tomorrow: work from 8:30 to 7. Then drinks with the girls from work, then a
date, then more packing.

Thursday: my last wax from Alex! (sniff), more packing, Meghann arrives!,
shopping?, eating, go out.

Friday: hopefully not too hung over, breakfast, get truck, fill up truck,
dinner, out with Meghann and other girls.

Saturday: hopefully not too hung over part 2, breakfast, go get car carrier to
attach to truck so that we can both be in the same vehicle on the way to KS,
attach car to truck, start drive to KS, start crying(?).

And throughout all of that, I'm going to try to see as many people as I can. It's interesting how things have been working out. People I didn't think I was going to see have just randomly been running into me. Sometimes good, other times not so good. Per esempio: saw the ex the other day for the first time in awhile. It was very bizarre, and at first it made me angry, but then (after some help from friends and brother) I realized it was pretty good closure. Hopefully, it will be left at that. As another example, I saw Charles last night. I worked with him at Tuscany Coffee. We have been missing each other for the past several months, but then he sent out a message saying he had a show last night. Luckily it worked out that I could go! While there a girl I know randomly showed up. I think there are other examples, but I can't remember.

Rich is out of the loft. It's so much fun coming home to an empty place. I'm trying to enjoy the space while I can, since I know I'm not going to have it in NY.

Today after work, it really hit home that I was moving. I had to say goodbye to 2 girls that aren't working tomorrow. It sucked. I hate saying goodbye. Okay. I'm going to bed now.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Denver

Since I'm getting to the home stretch of my time here, I'm starting to really question my decision to leave. I'm not surprised about that because I think it's a fairly natural thing to do. Plus, I know that I hate change, and moving to the east coast is going to be quite a change. Right now I have tons of unanswered questions: Where am I going to live? What kind of job am I going to have? Will anyone actually hire me? Will I be happy? Will I have friends?

I think I'm worried because I feel like I'm just now starting to make really good friends here, as I've said before. I think I'm going to be much more proactive once I move, so I don't think it will take as long as it did here. Before Denver I always had school to help me out. But when I first moved here, I didn't. And the job that I had, initially, consisted of younger coworkers. This meant that we didn't really hang out outside of work. Anyway, it just took me awhile to make friends here. And I'm hoping it doesn't take this long in my new city.

And, the more I look at the mountains, the more I know I'm going to miss them. Why the hell did it take me so long to go snowboarding? What the hell is wrong with me? I never felt like I took advantage of the mountains, because I still just stop and stare at them; but I am now realizing that maybe I did since I didn't actually hike them all the time. I guess the east coast has mountains too. And I can always come back here to go boarding or something.

I guess that is it for now. I'm going to go watch the KU game.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

tequila = bad

i'm still in bed, typing with one hand, because i'm laying on the other one. i just wanted to share my night. *usually* i do alright holding my own when i go out. but when someone throws in a tequila shot, or five, things start to go downhill.

nothing bad happened or anything, but i feel like crap right now. stupid tequila. and i woke up with a box of cheerios next to my head. i think i'm going to go throw up.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Blind people

I'm going to do my best not to sound like an evil person, but I have to tell you what just happened as I was walking to lunch.

I'm minding my own business, on my phone with Mixmasta Meghann, when all of the sudden I found myself trapped in the middle of a gaggle of blind people. I'm not joking when I say either of the words "gaggle" or "trapped". There were probably about 15 of them. All with those dangerous sticks they use to help them walk. I was trapped because every time I tried get out from the middle of them, there was a stick trying to trip me. And of course, none of them were facing the same direction, so I wasn't safe with any way I chose.

It was so strange. I was seriously stuck for a good 20 seconds, wondering what the hell I was going to do. Once I got out, with some fancy footwork on my part, I stood back just to watch in awe for a minute. It seems like they should have all been going to the same place, but there were some people walking across California, while others were walking across 16th. And still others were just going the complete opposite direction as the group. Maybe I'm just a fool, and they all knew exactly what they were doing/ where they were going, but it was just so bizarre. I was at a loss for words. I did my best to explain to Meghann what had just happened, but I think she thought I was making it up.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Blowtorch

9:45am: The stairs next to our salon are being repaired today and probably will be for the next few days. The guys doing the repairing are pretty scary looking. Guy #1 has crazy hair, is missing teeth, and has a handlebar mustache. Guy #2 doesn't look as deranged as Guy #1, but has holes all over his clothes. Guy #1 is using a blowtorch and some sort of saw that is cutting through the metal on the stairs. This saw is creating tons of sparks, which does not phase this guy at all. He has on a pair of protective glasses, but that is it. These sparks are flying directly into his crazy hair, face, bare hands, and open mouth. Perhaps the missing teeth are a direct correlation of sparks flying into his mouth for the past 35 years. Since I am no dentist, I cannot be sure. Maybe he never brushes. Though, you'd think that the sparks would kill any bacteria in his mouth.

10:15am: I think they have run into a problem. Allow me to describe the steps to you. They are framed in metal. Each step has a metal front, bottom and back, which is then filled with tile. It seems that someone forgot to measure the steps width because as I was watching them try to put the first new step into place, I saw them stop, take out the new step, and then measure. This was then followed by scratching of heads, and then banging of metal (I assume to make it fit into place).

10:31am: EWWWWWWWWW! Plumber butt. PULL YOUR PANTS UP!

10:33am: He is now using a blow torch. Now he has on the full helmet thingy. I'm wondering if I should have goggles on too.

10:42am: Stair number one is in. Almost.

Hopefully I won't be blind by the end of this day.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Lonely Brunch

One of my favorite things to do on a weekend is go to brunch. I love almost any kind of breakfast food you put in front of me. Unfortunately, brunch is the one meal I hate eating alone. I couldn't care less about eating lunch or even dinner alone. I love to people watch, and I really enjoy my alone time. Brunch is a different story.

Today, for example, I wanted nothing more than to know that someone would be joining me for breakfast. That's one thing I miss about KC. I have several people that I am absolutely certain would drop anything to eat breakfast with me. Meghann and I were talking about that when I called her today. Breakfast is a new level with friends. When you can almost count on eating at least one weekend breakfast with a friend, you know you have a very solid friendship.

As I was scrolling through my phone today, I realized that the only "breakfast" people I have are in KC or DC. I believe Alex would be a breakfast friend, but she works most weekends. Sabina would too, but she's married and busy with school. Other than that, I didn't have anyone else. :( I didn't let that stop me, though. I went into Snooze and sat at the bar. Didn't really feel like reading the paper, so I just did some people watching. I was surprised at myself at how jealous I was of everyone in there. I was the only person alone. It didn't matter whether it was a couple who had obviously spent their morning lounging in bed, then finally deciding to go get breakfast, or just a few friends who wanted to talk about their night. I was jealous. Actually, I was more jealous of the couples. This is the first time in almost a year that I've been jealous of a couple. I suppose I should take that as a sign that maybe I'm getting close to ready for serious dating again. It just sucks, you know? I'm having a blast in Denver with my friends and a boy, and I'm leaving in a little over a month. Why does it always work that way? Right before you move is when you start meeting really cool people and having a great time. It figures, huh?

Thursday, February 22, 2007

I don't understand people

So I was sitting at a coffee shop today, outside, in the wonderful sun. It was so nice that I was completely fine sitting in just my tee shirt. Anyway, I was having a nice time, doing things that needed to be done, when I noticed 3 jack asses walk into the coffee shop. They were all dressed in Triumph motorcycle gear. They sat down and drank their espressos for awhile, finally getting up to leave.

I doubt I would have noticed them leaving had they not started their motorcycles and revved them for freaking ever. Seriously, my respect for them went way up once they demonstrated their masculinity through the revving. Anyway, as they were driving off, I saw one of them spit on the Boxster parked in front of the coffee shop. I don't get it. It made me so mad at the bastard, yet sad for the owner of the Boxster. What did that do for the jack ass? How on earth does spitting on someone else's belongings actually make you feel better?! "Oh man, I totally just hawked a big loogy on that porsche. I feel awesome!" Obviously he is a loser, but still. I wish I'd had a bat with me.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

2 for 1 CHIPOTLE!

If you order online today, you can get 2 for 1 burritos!!!

Last night's makeup

I always know I had a great time, when I wake up and realize I still have on the previous night's makeup. I always take off my makeup before I go to bed, unless I've been drinking. It's actually kind of nice, because then I don't have to spend time putting on fresh makeup for the day.

As much fun as I tend to have when I go out with my girlfriends, my nights always end up strangely. I really don't know what I do when I get home, but things always disappear. And magically, there is always a plate of half eaten nachos next to my bed. Yes, healthy, I know. But apparently this is what I crave when I've been drinking.

Let's take this morning as an example. First of all, last night was a bit crazy. Sara and I met at Tryst for a drink (or two). Then we went to meet Summer, Summer's mom, Summer's mom's partner, Jacque and Robbie at Jax. Jax closed at 10, so we went to some place called the Cruise Bar or something. I had never heard of this place before, and it was seriously like stepping into another era. You know in The Shining when Jack goes into the bar and suddenly it's full of people, even though there is really no one there? Well, that's how this bar felt to me. Then we went to my beloved Herb's. Finally, we ended the night, just me, Sara and Summer, at Spill. Keep in mind, I had to be at work at 8 30 this morning.

Okay, so I woke up around 6 30 for the first time, realizing I should do some hangover prevention. I drank 2 large glasses of water and had some advil, then fell back asleep for another hour or so. Eventually, I dragged myself out of bed. Was still unsure as to how I would be feeling, but I knew that a coffee and a breakfast burrito from the coffee cart near my salon would do the trick. Realizing I had succeeded in basically avoiding the bad parts of a hangover, I quickly got dressed and tried to leave. Unfortunately, I ran into a few problems.
1) Plate of mostly eaten nachos next to my bed. (not really a problem, but I hate eating unhealthy things right before sleeping)
2) Could not find purse. After a quick search of the loft, I found it cleverly hidden on a random chair in the corner of my living room. Unfortunately, my keys were not with the purse.
3) Could not find keys. I made myself stop and think for a second. Normally, I throw my keys onto my bed. But, since I had slept in that bed, I assumed that I had kicked the keys off of the bed and onto the floor, along with my big comforter. I then found the keys wrapped up in the comforter.
4) Then came the hard one: my jacket.

Sometimes, when I'm a little drunk, I am very careful with my clothes. I put my shoes back in their boxes and I hang up my pants and jacket. Other nights, I am extremely careless with my clothes. I kick my shoes off as I'm walking in, probably leaving them right in place for Rich to trip on. Take my clothes off as I'm stumbling towards my bed, leaving them wherever I happen to be when it comes off. Last night, I was a bit confused. The shoes had made it to their box. But a bra was on my printer. My pants were hung up, though, yet the purse was in a random spot. So, had I hung up the jacket? Or just thrown it somewhere? I looked in closet #1 and no jacket. Closet #2, also no jacket. Then, I looked in the living room, assuming it was on the couch. (I like to leave it there.) Still no jacket. Finally, I returned to my room and looked around again. I saw it sticking out from under my desk. God knows how it ended up there.

Luckily, my scarf was right next to my jacket, so I was finally able to leave and get my coffee and breakfast burrito. Today was chorizo! Yummy.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Steamboat Springs



After a very scary drive on Rabbit Ears Pass, I arrived last Thursday in Steamboat Springs. Nissa and Ryan were already there with Sullivan and a whole group of people. Friday was my second snowboard lesson ever. I actually did pretty well, even had a few runs after my lesson ended. After my lesson that day, Nissa and I hung out in the hot tub for a little bit. Then was dinner with the whole group. After dinner, 6 of us decided to go to the hot springs. It was absolutely gorgeous. There are several different pools ranging from hot to ice cold. At one point, I braved the ice cold pool, just so I could say I did it. I think that's part of the whole hot springs experience.

So then Saturday rolled around. A man that was with the group, Bob, insisted on giving me a snowboard lesson too. He is probably in his mid 50s or so and seems really good at snowboarding. Anyway, he took me down some blues, which I thought I'd never try. It was actually a lot of fun, aside from the really hard falls that I had. Something I learned: the steeper the hill, the harder the fall. I was really happy that he made me go down the blues, but at the end of my lesson with him, I was done. My legs were like rubber. I've always kind of scoffed at people that say, "my legs are on fire", but that day my legs really were on fire. And I'm pretty much in good shape, but snowboarding is just a whole different story.

Anyway, on Saturday Ryan wanted to take Nissa to the hot springs, so I told them I would watch Sullie. First of all, I can't even remember the last time I babysat, let alone an 8 month old baby. But I wanted to since they were letting me crash with them for free. I started having crazy fears right before they left, like, what if she chokes on something? I don't know baby CPR. I used to, but I need a refresher course. What if she cries the entire time? What do I do?!?!?! I tried not to let on that I was a little nervous, because I didn't want them to worry. After they left, Sullie and I played for about a half hour, then she started crying. I could tell she was really tired, so I had her lay down next to me in this big arm chair. After a few minutes she fell asleep in my arm, holding one of my fingers. It was pretty freaking cute. She slept like that for an hour, and of course during this hour, my phone rang several times. I refused to move though, for fear of waking her. Needless to say, I survived, and Sullie was basically happy.

I left on Sunday, and luckily the roads were completely dry. I was so excited to come home, and get in the hot tub at 24 hour fitness so I could help out my sore muscles and joints. When I arrived though, there was a sign saying "Sauna is broken". I asked if the hot tub was working, and she said yes. But she was wrong. I got in the hot tub, it was lukewarm at best, but I stayed in it hoping that it just needed a little bit of time to warm up. In no time, I was shivering in the hot tub. I was so mad. So, I just stood in their shower for a really long time, hoping that the hot water wouldn't run out like it does at my place.

Today and yesterday I am/was insanely sore, which I'm blaming on the broken hot tub. And, I guess, the blue hills. But man, was it worth it.

By the way, the picture at the top was our meeting spot for lunch on Saturday. (Bob is the one in the bright yellow jacket, and I'm in front in the purple jacket (the only one smiling at the camera)). Apparently they do this every year. Pack their lunch and wine, and bring it to these 2 picnic tables that are probably at about 9,000 feet.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

7 lbs of cookie dough

As I've said before, this weekend I'm going to meet Nissa and Ryan in Steamboat. As a thank you, I decided to bake them my chocolate chip cookies. I figured while I was at it, I may as well make a double batch so I can keep some for myself and also give some out. When I finished making the dough, (yes, I make them from scratch) I realized that the bowl was really heavy. Being really curious about how much it weighed, I went to the scale in the bathroom and weighed my cookie dough. I'm sure you've already guessed from my title that the dough weighed 7 lbs. Can you believe that? That's crazy. And, I believe that Rich's scale is actually a little off, so the dough probably weighed a little bit more than 7 lbs.

Good story. I'll give everyone that asks a quarter for their time. Maybe not a quarter. I'll give you a nickel. How about that? A nickel from a Nicol. I crack myself up.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Rough morning

As I suspected, I had a hard time falling asleep last night. Which made me oversleep today. I haven't overslept in a very long time. For starters, my cell went off once, I pushed snooze, and then it didn't go off again even though it was still in alarm mode. Then, my backup alarm didn't go off. Unless I was so out of it that I shut it off in my sleep. Very possible.

So I wake up at 8 32. I'm supposed to be at work at 8 30. Great. Rich was taking a shower, so I couldn't even grab my makeup. Luckily, we keep toothpaste at the salon, so I did a little finger brushing this morning. Yuck, I know.

Normally there are so many mall ride buses that you have to choose which one to get on. Seriously, if I were to decide to walk on a normal day, at least 10 buses would pass me in the process. Today, of course, there was only 1 and I had just missed it. I felt like laughing at my luck, but only for a little bit. I had to walk the entire way, which isn't far, but considering the start to my morning, it did not help. Not one bus passed me during my walk. Grrrr.

I don't know how I did it, but I got to work at 8 44. Only one technician and the laundry guys were waiting for me. (I'm the only one with a key.) Being 14 minutes late isn't the end of the world, but I really hate being late.

On top of that, I have to go back to the grocery store today because stupid King Soopers didn't put my eggs and vanilla in my bag! And of course, it's on the receipt. I was so excited to make cookies last night, and because of them, I couldn't. DAMN IT.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Just one of those nights

I've been thinking about Caleb a lot today. A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from his phone number that made my heart stop. Unfortunately, I missed the call, but a message was left. It was his mom just wanting to talk to me for a little bit. I should really change it from his name to either his mom's or dad's name, but I probably won't.

He made me a mix tape a long time ago that I love. When he made it, instead of writing the real titles down for each song, he made up titles for them. They were inside jokes that he and I shared. It made me and still makes me crack up every time I read them. I can't even remember what some of them were about, which makes me really wish I could ask him and also really angry for not remembering. These aren't the things I can ask other people.

The last time we talked, which I believe was just a few days before he died, I asked him if he could remember what songs he put on the tape so I could know the actual titles. He just laughed saying something about how he should have put both the real and fun titles on there. I'm sure I responded with something like, "don't worry about it, we can figure it out later." I also asked him for another tape, since I was wearing out the original one. I'm in the process of trying to transfer it from tape to CD, but I am so paranoid that the tape is going to break in the process. That would break my heart.

I don't know what else to say. I'm so tired, but I know I'm not going to be able to fall asleep tonight for awhile. Or maybe writing this is exactly what I need and it will, in fact, help me fall asleep.

A note I was just handed

A deaf guy just came into the salon, asked for a piece of paper and this is what he wrote (word for word):

"My car got broken into & stole my credit cards. I'm trying to find help w/ gas to go to the hospital at FT Collins. My girlfriend had a miscarriage this morning & I filed a police report so they are looking for the person."

Jennifer vs. Snowboarding

I did it. After having lived here for 2 years, I finally went snowboarding. I decided to go last Thursday. So, in order to force myself to go, I signed up for a lesson on Monday. In doing so, I had no way out. I was extremely nervous because I've never done any sort of sport on snow before, but I was determined.

I arrived about an hour before my lesson, which was nice because then I could relax and get myself psyched up for it. Right before I got on the gondola that took us up to the base of the mountain, I asked a guy a question about where I should get my pass, and this was his response, "Hey, you know, you're making the wave, I'm just riding it." That cracked me up, because he was completely serious. I didn't think people actually talked like that. Anyway, I took this stoner-sentence as a good sign that I was going to have a good day. When lesson time came, I joined the others at the meeting spot and waited. All of my girlfriends kept saying, "if nothing else, you're going to have a hot snowboard instructor!" and they were right. Dustin was pretty cute, but he seemed really young, which means our relationship started and stopped with the lesson. Plus, he lives in Florida for 6 months of the year, and if I haven't said this before, I hate Florida.

The lesson started with learning how to strap into the board, and how to look cool while carrying your board. Then we got on the lesson hill, where you stand up for the first time on your board and try to go down the hill. I actually surprsied myself and did pretty well at that part. Then, they chose about 5 people who were feeling pretty good at this point, to actually go up on the lift and try the easiest of the hills. I was included in this group.

Dustin taught us about a few certain kind of turns. I was doing pretty well, not hurting myself too much, until this one jack-ass from our group ran smack into me. I landed directly on my tail bone and it hurt like hell. At this point, I was tired, my tail bone hurt, and I was frustrated because I wasn't quite getting the hang of the last turn. For those of you who don't know me that well, I can sometimes get an attitude. (This may be why, when growing up, my nickname from my mom was "Mouth". I guess I talked back a lot...) Anyway, after this I got a little lippy with Dustin.

He kept telling me to do things with my feet that were supposed to help me succeed in doing this one turn. At one point I told him to just stop instructing me. Luckily, he laughed at that. Nothing was working, I wasn't getting this stupid turn. Then he came over and fixed something on my bindings and noticed that one of my boots should be tighter. I made him tighten it, which made him start complaining about going from a snowboard instructor to a boot tightener. Anyway, with my bindings fixed, and my boots tight, and no instruction from Dustin, I nailed the turn without falling! Unfortunately, that was my last run down the mountain and I had to go. Overall, I had a great time and am really excited to go again.

In fact, this weekend I'm going to Steamboat with some friends of mine from Ohio, Nissa and Ryan. Hopefully, I'll be able to stay up a lot more than I did during my first attempt at snowboarding.

Oh yeah, on my drive home I passed a tow truck with a U-haul on the back! Stupid U-haul.

Bucho's fault

*This was from myspace, but since I'm sure some of you who read my blog aren't on myspace, I figured you may enjoy it too.*

The rules of this game are: once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with 6 weird facts/things/habits about yourself. Finish by choosing 7 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I've never been baptized, confirmed or had my bat mitzvah.

2. I keep all of my shoes in their shoe boxes.

3. I love the song Poison by Bell Biv Devo.

4. I think it should be a rule that everyone has to start dancing when Al Green comes on.

5. I talk and sometimes walk in my sleep. (I've woken up with forks in my bed; I'll tell you the story if you ask.)

6. I'm somewhat superstitious. (I throw salt over my shoulder if I spill it. Things like that.)



I tag Stacie, Lee-Bee, Jonathon, Ags, Francisco!, and Adam.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Reminder calls

Here is one more thing that I hate: People who choose to have a song playing on their cell phone in lieu of having a regular boop.... boop when I'm calling to remind them of their appointments.

Seriously, I don't want to listen to the god-awful song that you have chosen. It is always way too loud, distorted, and just a bad song all together. And the worst part about it, is that I have to listen to it, because I have to leave a message or actually speak with someone about their upcoming appointment. This is torture.

Now, if it was my friends choosing songs for my "listening enjoyment while my party is reached", I would not be venting. You know why? Because they have great taste in music, and would not choose the latest Justin Timberlake song. Except maybe Stacie. She loves that song.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Pet peeves I have

I have many pet peeves, but this blog will focus on the ones I have that are related to my job.

I am a "Salon Coordinator", which is what they want us to refer to ourselves as. But really, I am a receptionist. I work at a waxing salon. That is all we do here; just rip out people's unwanted hair.

Here are some sample conversations that I have daily:

Scene 1.

ME: Thank you for calling {insert name of salon here}, this is Jennifer, how can I help you?

STUPID CUSTOMER 1: I'd like to make an appointment for a wax.

ME: Okay, what service are you looking for?

S.C.1: A wax.

ME: (pause) Yes, but what kind of wax?

S.C.1: Face.

ME: (pause) Any particular spot on your face?

S.C.1: uh... yeah.... my eyebrows. (this is usually followed by a frustrated exhale, in a way that suggests I've been asking stupid questions.)

Scene 2.

ME: Thank you for calling {insert name of salon here}, this is Jennifer, how can I help you?

S.C.2: Ohmygod, HI! I'd like to schedule an appointment for a brazilian.

ME: Okay, do you have any particular time in mind?

S.C.2: Yeah, I need um, something, um, at either, I don't know, 4 or after?

ME: (Excited because I found the one appointment long enough for what she wants, and it just happens to be exactly at 4.) Oh great, we have a 4:00 for you.

S.C.2: That's not going to work. Is there anything later?


Right about there is where I really need to hold back, and not say something like, "If that actually will NOT work for you, why did you just say 4:00 would work?!?!?!?!?!?!"

I'm not joking when I say that I have these conversations daily. It's probably even multiple times a day. For those of you who know me, you are probably laughing at me. I tend to have little patience in general, and with stupid people it's far worse. The fact that this happens as often as it does is either doing wonders for my patience, or it is creating a blood clot in my brain that will rupture the next time I am asked the question, "well, does it hurt?" "OF COURSE IT HURTS!!! YOU'RE GETTING YOUR HAIR RIPPED OUT, IN A SENSITIVE AREA, WITH HOT.... (gasp) (gurgle) (sound of me falling to the floor from my chair)."

Monday, February 5, 2007

They should change the name to "U- Fix n' Haul and We laugh"


In case you can't tell from my title, U-haul blows.

I, when renting for myself, have had decent luck with them. The one truck I rented from them worked fine and got me to Denver. Unfortunately, that is not going to make up for the hassle that we went through this weekend. Or the hassle that my friends Joseph and Sabina went through when they were moving to Denver.

We'll start with them. Long story short, their truck broke down 4 times. Each time, U-haul sent out "U-haul approved" guys to "fix" the problem. And each time, the man fixing the problem would say that they were good to drive again. After the fourth time, Joseph hired some guys to move their things from the U-haul truck to the Penske (or Ryder, I can't remember) truck. He left the U-haul carcass where it was, and does not know what happened to it. They decided to file against U-haul and ended up getting reimbursed for everything.

I heard this story from them about a year or so ago. Needless to say, when I showed up on Thursday morning to help Kristina and her husband, Andy, move to Minnesota, I was not thrilled to see a really crappy looking U-haul sitting in front of their house. I tried to stay positive and kept telling myself the only reason I was thinking bad things about this U-haul was because of Joseph and Sabina's drama, and not because it was a 95 and had 220,000 miles on it. Then we were just about to get in the car to start the drive, when I heard, "Ahh... Shit" from Andy. And then I heard it from Kevin. Kristina and I went over to the truck and there was a pile of green liquid sitting under the truck. Apparently the hose that does something with the coolant had fallen out. I guess it was a quick fix, but it was problem number one.

The driving went surprisingly well. Extremely slow, but well. Kristina and I were in Andy's Volvo following the truck that Andy and Kevin were driving. We made it to Council Bluffs, Iowa around 10 pm or so. It had been pretty windy, but we decided to keep going a little bit further, hoping to make it to Des Moines. We were on the road for about 10 more miles, when mine and Kristina's hearts almost fell out of our chests. The wind caught the truck (which also had Kristina's car on a tow trailer behind it) and the trailer and just shook it back and forth several times. I think we both thought it was going to fall over completely. Luckily, it did not. But, that made us decide to stop at the next exit, which was in Underwood, Iowa.

At this exit there was a gas station and a motel that had a lounge. We got a couple of rooms, brought the dog and the fish inside, and went to get some dinner at the I-80 Lounge that was part of this motel.

You know in movies when the record scratches to a stop when a stranger walks into a place? Well, that exactly what it felt like when we walked in. It was me and Kristina and Kevin. Andy had stayed in the room with Niko. I opened the door and saw that the bar was right in front of the door and was packed. Right as we walked in, every single person sitting at the bar stopped what they were doing, turned to look at us and just stared for several seconds. It was very strange. What was even weirder was the contrast between the lack of people outside and the very lively inside of this bar. We assumed that this was the place to go in Underwood.

Okay. So we got some dinner, ate, and crashed. The next day, we started again. We were going for about an hour or so when we saw, what we originally thought, was a ton of snow coming out from under the truck. Then we realized that the truck was smoking. We were about a mile from an exit, so Andy just kept driving it to the exit and managed to make it to a gas station. Once again, we lucked out because this gas station also had the Valley Country Cafe, where we ate breakfast while waiting for U-haul approved guys to come fix the truck.

I'm not exactly sure what happened, but once again it had something to do with the radiator. All in all, it took only a few hours to take care of that. I was pleased with that, since I kept thinking we'd be stuck in the middle of Iowa forever. And we all got to eat a good breakfast.

That was actually the last problem we had with the truck. We made it to Minnesota, finally, and did our unloading of the truck on Saturday. By the way, a little bit of advice: Don't move to Minnesota in the middle of the winter. It was -17 degrees while we were unloading their possessions. That's just insane.

My point of this rant is to warn everyone to never use U-haul. These are not the only stories I've heard. If you know of, or have your own U-haul story, write it in a comment. U-haul just doesn't care about the trucks they give out to people. Penske, on the other hand, replaces their fleet every 2 years. They may cost a little bit more, but in the long run it is definitely worth it.