J. K. DeLo

It just Doesn't Stop.

2011-12-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Blurg. Where has this year gone?! Well, here are some recent and not so recent happenings.

Morgs & Matt got married! We went out to Utah to celebrate. The wedding festivities were fun and of course Morgs & Matt looked gorgeous!

While in Salt Lake, April & I tried to find gravity hill. We never did, but we did find this park.

Gilgal- where you can see Joseph Smith in the form a spnix.

Ragnar 2011 part 2. We did the Northern California Ragnar, San Fransisco to Napa. This course is by far my favorite. By the end I even started to think I liked running... In any case, what is a ragnar without someone have a major melt down (or two?!) lost runners and maybe even a hitch hiker?

Halloween.

I can't believe I am still dressing up for Halloween. But I did. Night one Ape, Emily & I went as mimes.

Night two I wore the lamb costume- it was hot. In all sense of the word.

LACMA

I love this place! Recently there have been some really great exhibits. Earlier this fall the museum had a Tim Burton exhibit with a retrospective of Burton's work. The exhibit was fascinating and quite enteretaining.

This past month the museum has had pop exhibit. Part of this exhibit includes some Jeff Koons:

and a Monet/Lichtenstein Rouen Catherdal comparison. The only thing that could make the afternoon better was a stop at Scoops.

Best icecream. ever.

Joshua Tree

We went on the ward campout. It was fun, but the bouldering the day after in Joshua trees was by far the best part.

Costa Mesa City Champs

2011-08-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure- Costa Mesa City Softball Champs. Go Rounders!

And the Beat Goes on...

2011-08-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, this summer has just flown right by. Awesome. It is strange to be an adult during summer. Growing up summer is all about being carefree and not having to worry about your homework or school. So when it comes time to being an adult, having to work in the summer feels a bit like I am getting ripped off. Why can't I be at the beach and eating Popsicles with all the cool kids? Anyway in no particular order, the following is some happenings from the past few months:

We moved... April bought a place so hopefully no more moving for a long time:

Because I have an in with the landlord I got to paint the walls whatever color I wanted.

M.E & Jeff got married

it was a beautiful and festive weekend.

Saw Greg & Lenka at the Detroit Bar

as always, amazing!

Ran another Ragnar. This one was the from Huntington Beach to San Diego. Have I mentioned how much I hate running? To train for the race I ran a total of 7 miles over the course of 2 weeks-no bueno. During the race when it came time for my night run I was not excited. It was my longest leg but I ran all 7 miles of it. Without walking or stopping- it was pretty much the hi-light for me. I felt like a champ. However, I still hate running.

Adrienne also got married. For her bachelorette party we went up to Hollywood to take Michael Jackson dancing lessons. Just look at how professional we now are:

Adrienne's wedding was also beautiful and full of fun.

I have been spending a lot of time up in LA. I love this city, there is so much to do. Fourth of July weekend we went hiking up in the Palisades and got to see Hall & Oats at the Hollywood Bowl.

Best of all, I got to spend time with the fam before Mr. Matt left for his mission to Guatamala.

Anyway, much more has happened by way of shows, museums, and outings but I don't feel like sharing that right now.

Hello Sky

2011-04-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

When your day looks as bland as this:

(my sad empty office)

It makes me really happy to go home to a colorful sky like this:

In no particular order..

2011-03-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

Some recent and not so recent activities....

Went to big bear for the weekend with these peoples

I am still not over how fun the trip was!

Been playing powder puff with these lovely ladies:

we mean business...

even if it requires an elbow to the neck every once in awhile.

Decided to hang a couple of shelves. Two people, 14 holes, and two hours later they were up!

Rang in the new year in palm springs.

Some decided to "just dance" the night away...

while others pursued more scholarly options.

of course we could not resist the fire dance!

I tamed the wild beast of crafts. That's right, I pretty much will glitter anything and everything.
Case and point- my dresser. It is amazing.

Another successful holiday party has been added to the books.

I was on a quilting kick for a couple of weeks. I completed 3 rad quilt tops. This is my favorite right now:

'

Was really excited to see this:

Ended up experiencing my first walk out. I felt like I was on a cruise ship watching a bad performance. Seriously Disney? I expected a lot more from you.

Mom, are you satisfied?

To all the lovers

2011-02-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Merced- Thanks for being awesome

2011-02-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

And for continuing to make me proud to say I hail from your sprawling metropolis.
First, you were rated America's Least Brainy city.
Now you have earned yourself the prestigious title of 3rd Most Miserable City in America.

Kudos Merced. Keep up the good work!

Love this....

2011-01-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

She & Him - Don't Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

2011 Goals

2011-01-19T19:24:00.000-08:00

Home

2010-12-28T21:25:00.000-08:00

I went home for Christmas

Right now the garden has winter fruits and vegetables

But the chickens are not producing.

I spent a lot of time with the beasties.

And ate German food

then I stole these pictures from britt because i didn't take any.

It was fun while it lasted, but now it is back to real life.

Run, Run, Run Away...

2010-12-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

Back in October we loaded two vans with 12 super cool people and headed Las Vegas to run 195 miles in the desert Ragnar Race.

We were the Silent Deadly Ninja Monkeys. Obviously a boy chose the name...

But it ended up being the best name ever. No joke, we won 1st place for team name.

The race took place over a Fratterday (Friday + Saturday-Sleeping= Fratterday) and is the funnest running experience you can ever have. You basically spend 2 days hanging out in a van with funny, delusional people and running at random times of the day.

Unfortunately, we also had some mishaps, like driving 40 miles in the wrong direction in the middle of the night. We also were fortunate enough to lock the keys in the van at 2am. No bueno, but kind of amusing to watch a grown man try to pick the door lock with a wire monkey tail.

What is not funny is having to wear your friends sweaty socks & shoes that are two sizes too big to run down the highway frontage road in the middle of the night because the van is locked.

Basically, our team was awesome. So awesome that we placed 19th out of 250+ teams.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

Festivus, For the rest of us!

2010-12-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

Dear Mr. King,

You are no Martin Luther but you are my hero. Thank you for celebrating and subscribing to Festivus as a religion. Well played. It's just too bad it had to end.

Better luck next time,

J

Fish: Fail

2010-11-13T01:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight April & I bought some fish. And by some I mean 10.
We put them in bowls with new blue rocks & fresh water.
They seemed happy with their new setup.
We went to a party.
At the party we gave 1 fish away as a housewarming gift.
After the party we went home.
At home there were 3 fish bowls with 8 dead fish & 1 struggling to survive.
He will probably be dead in the morning.
It was traumatic.
I feel like a failure.
Goodbye Louis VI, Fletch and you 7 other unnamed 13cent fish.
My only guess is you instantly gave up once you got a peek at all the dead plants we have around the house.
I dont blame you.

What are you suppossed to be?

2010-11-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Im supposed to be done by now.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) even as an "adult" you are never really done with Halloween. Instead of the door to door trick-or-treating I now find myself going door to door partying. This also means multiple costumes. Awesome!

The first night we made our way through the sewers and surfaced in the city of LA.

In the city we danced our way through the sweaty hot crowds, chatted with friends, and emerged drenched, happy, and tired.

The second nigh we Rock and Rolled all night.... and partied every day.

As rock stars we were graced with the company of sexy beasts....

and even saw a double rainbow, what does it mean?

Today I rode the bus.

2010-11-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

In downtown LA. I was not very successful, but I did have an enjoyable time.

Here is the thing, parking in downtown is expensive ($2.50 for every 15 minutes with maximum rates ranging from $18-26) and when you have to drive to many buildings parking fees add up. It especially sucks when they are cash only and I struggle to pay the poor parking attendant the remaining $2 in pennies and nickles found in the bottom of my purse.

So, today to preserve the earth & my wallet I decided I would go to my meetings and various appointments by bus. Foolishly I relied on the seasoned bus riders to point me to the right buses to get around town. It wasn't until I was in China town & looking out the extremely large windows at parts of LA I didnt even know existed before I realized a few things:

1.I was riding public transportation-in downtown LA. Safe? maybe...
2. Reading the giant map at the bus stop would have been a better idea than reading my book.
3. If I went missing, no one would ever think to say " Well, she usually takes the A-dash route."
4. Taking public transportation in LA is not an efficient way to get around

Anyway, 6 buses later (1 of which I actually chased around the corner, don't be jealous) I learned my lesson. Walking or driving is far better than riding the streets with 23 of your new best friends.

Its the magical mystery kind...

2010-10-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Trumpets, loads of tambourines, keyboards, snapping, pianos, and lots of crazy people make for the most entertaining and marvelous band. My summer obsession this year has been Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros & I'm pretty sure this obsession will now continue into the fall.

Last night Morgs & I got to see Ed and the gang in Anaheim. They are crazy, in a "we are just here to make awesome music, dance crazy, and have fun" kind of way.

On the drive home I was thinking about why I like Ed & the Zeros and I came to this conclusion: the way the band makes music is basically the same way i live my life, it's random & crazy. And that is why I like them so much.

It's coming...

2010-10-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

And I'm afraid I will not be able to come up with a costume that can even begin to compete with the cool kids pictured above.

And the beat goes on...

2010-10-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have picked up it terms of major life milestones and activities.

I quit my job 2 weeks ago. It was probably the best decision I have made all year. I now have a new job as a zoning manager for a development company and I could not be happier.

Last sunday we celebrated the one and only Morgan McAwesome's birthday with an indoor picnic balloon bonanza.

Wednesday, for McAwesomes real birthday we headed to San Diego to see both Sara Barielles and Greg Laswell at the House of Blues. We first went to some pizza place where we indulged in the best pizza crust to have ever graced my mouth. Ok, it might not have been the best, but it was dang good. Know what was also dang good? Greg and Sara. I say this often, but I truly wish I had just half of their musical skills.

Thursday the girls and I headed to the Pantages in LA to see the Phantom of the Opera. Its the last time the show is touring, so you better go now... or you might miss it forever!

After two nights in a row of crazy mad talent and a reminder of how lame and sub par my skills truly are I decided to return to my humble roots in the greatest valley that has ever graced the earth- The Central Valley.

Where I got to hang with the greatest people in said valley:

My parents

And my brother & his wife, also a Jessica.

They flew from Georgia to hang for a couple of days and then started the trek back to Georgia in the old suburu. Unfortunately, they are currently stuck in Needles because that old subaru might just be a few years too old.

We pretty much just hung out, went mini golfing, and ate really good pizza at BJ's.

Oh, and we went to the Bass Pro Shop. It was entertaining but not awesome.

Labor day

2010-09-13T19:34:00.001-07:00

For the labor day weekend April & I decided to put our legs to work. We took our bikes down to San Juan Capistrano then proceeded to ride to Solano Beach. This was a fun ride that took us through Camp Pendleton, along Old Coast Highway, and eventually delivered us to the train station where we proceeded to miss the train by seconds (this seems to be a trend of ours).

Summer time, when the livings easy

2010-09-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Blah! Even though it still appears to be summer outside the traffic in the morning by the school is telling me otherwise. Fall has arrived my friends! so here is a run down of my summer adventures:

Powell.

A solid good time. Boating, swimming, exploring caves, and friends. What more could one ask for?

Class of 1985 Murder Mystery Dinner. Just ignore the fact that i wasn't even a fetus in 1985.

After the last murder mystery dinner I decided that I could live without ever having to do one again. However, this dinner party renewed my faith in the murder mystery.

Concerts

James Taylor and Carole King at the Hollywood Bowl. Amazing!

Ingrid at the Greek. I knew it was going to be a good concert when she opened with a cover of Gaga's Poker face and ended the show with Britney's Toxic.

Imogen Heap. Loved her 5 years ago and am still obssessed. She is crazy in all the right ways.

Glowsticks. I love anything that shimmers, glitters, glistens, or glows. Behold, boredom on a sunday night, and my new favorite hobby:

(we're working on a more choreographed number)

Glow Fest 2010

2010-08-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Disneyland truly is a magical place. What could be better than dancing, glow sticks, awesome rides, and a ridiculously fun group of friends? Having all that plus a silver-get you to the front of the line pass and doing it all "In the darkkkkkkkkk!"

Pageant of the Masters

2010-08-16T00:29:00.000-07:00

Ever since I watched this:

I have wanted to go to the pageant of the masters and this just happened to be my lucky year!

For Kates birthday we headed to Laguna Beach to grab dinner then to absorb the full living art experience. Its pretty amusing how high brow this sort of ridiculous pageant is. For those unfamiliar with the pageant it is basically a bunch of people with lots of makeup standing still for minutes at a time recreating famous works of art. While the people in the pictures stand still the narrator talks about the piece and the audience sits in stadium seating with binoculars marveling at the beauty that has been created before their eyes. For 2 hours. I think this should be on everyone's bucket list.

This Summer is fading fast

2010-08-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Since graduating I have acquired a full time position with the firm I have been interning/ working part time for since I moved to Newport 2 years ago for school. I didn't realize how hard transitioning to full time work was going to be. I now understand why people live for the weekends and can't believe I have joined the huddle masses that runs errands during the lunch hour or joins the long checkout lines after work. No Bueno. I also did not realize how sitting at a desk all day can truly be exhausting. However, I am lucky my job requires me to be out of the office at least 2 days a week. I guess all I can say is kudos to all those people with crummy desk jobs. I feel your pain.

I also moved...again. With these two:

Dont be jealous.

On another note, this summer has been the first Summer I have spent in Newport and it has been pretty rad. For those who care about what I've been up to read on. For those who don't - I'll smell you later trashcan.

The Fair.

The last time I was at the fair I was just a kid wearing white wranglers with a green 4-H hat trying to get a pig to following me around an arena. Since then I have had no desire to go . This year however, the demolition derby was calling my name. Basically the fair is nuts. Crazy. And the people who go are highly entertaining to watch.

Hello Master, Goodbye Old Friend

2010-06-16T22:45:00.001-07:00

My tumultuous 17 year love affair has come to an end. I am officially done with school and it's probably forever. I almost don't know how to exist without having a deadline looming over my head. It's strange. And sad.
Some of my most favorite memories involve school. Never again will I get to experience my sister running for her life with a very long legged turkey chasing after her on our way home from school. Or having to stand against the wall because I punched David Davis in the stomach. Gone are the days of too much procrastination, very little sleep, and substandard work.
So I guess, here is to the future. To continued learning and fun. And to never growing up.

I think the most devastating part is even though I have a masters degree, I am no longer eligible for the awkward student of the month photos.

Study Treats

2010-06-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

This week is finals week. Awesome right? I just finished my last final . Ever. Im pretty sure I spent more time looking for my notebook with the study materials in it than I did actually studying.

I think the best part about finals week is the super awesome email I received from the student association notifying me there is free nuts and green tea available all week at a self service station for the more serious students.

Seriously, green tea? I could totally understand coffee, but green tea?
Im going to chalk this one up to the demographic composition of the student body.
I guess I shouldnt be surprised since on any given day you can buy Boba or Korean BBQ along the sidewalks across campus.

totally random

2010-05-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

but awesome.

1. The business school at UCI is named after the man (Paul Merage) who invented the Hot Pocket. Awesome.

2. I was cleaning out my notebook that i keep all my "to do lists." While ripping the old lists out I was reading the items from months past that I had not yet checked off, just in case there was something i should have done but didn't. Well, I found one that I didn't get around to doing.
Smashed in between "wash car" and a target shopping list was
"look into buying a seahorse."

That's right, while everyone in class is taking copious notes on best land use practices or the merits of SB375 i am making lists and dreaming of owning seahorses (most likely of the Crayon pony fish variety).

When this old world starts getting me down

2010-05-21T00:43:00.000-07:00

and people are just too much for me to face

I climb onto my bike and all my cares just drift right in space.

Lately, more often than not, i have found myself riding my bike around the neighborhood late at night.

The cool air and dark still night seem to be the only thing that can really put my mind at ease.

Life has been slowly changing and more changes are coming. Things are different, but good.

However, my mind has been racing. I cant sleep. I feel like I am slowly disappearing....

if this is what "being an adult" means i don't want any part of it.

Self, Good day...

2010-04-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

I started working full time this week. Today I slept in. I was 2 hours late... nobody really seemed to notice or even care. Awesome.

I also found my Chalet Swiss cheese pin.

I bought 4 vintage pins when i was at a street fair in Delft last summer with my mom. Out of all of them this was my favorite. I don't know why, it just was.

I wore it on the lapel of my favorite blazer. That is, until it suddenly disappeared about a month ago. I couldn't find it anywhere & finally decided it was a lost cause and would be add to the list of other items of sentimental value I have lost or broken.

Today however, was my lucky day!

I found it on a bulletin board at the Irwindale City Hall (Irwindale is in LA, I have been there once before). I pulled the little bugger off the board so quick & pined it onto my super snazzy white vest.

My outfit was complete. My heart was happy.

When i looked up the lady at the counter looked at me like i was crazy.

I just smiled, walked out the door, and said "Self! Good day!"

Crafttastic!

2010-04-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

I really like to craft, but i am no Martha. I have accepted the fact that I shall never be a Martha because her crafts are way too perfect & sometimes simply too boring/ classy for my taste. I love the imperfections, ghettoness, and shiny sequined projects that result in me wondering the following:

1. Why have i just spent 2 weeks sewing sequence onto one shoe? Do i need to finish the other?

2. Now what am I going to do with this lion costume? Do i really need to finish the head/mask or is my hair sufficiently long to pass as a mane?

3. This looks really bad. Who can i give this to / where can i leave it so i dont have to look at it? Usually the answer to this one is April. We have decided to create an art gallery on the wall of her garage.

Despite my failed and super ghetto crafts the following embodies how i feel about crafting. It has also given me some great fashion inspiration.

Saw them. Love them.

2010-04-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

If you don't know She & Him you should.

Parents Weekend

2010-04-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

When I was away at BYU my parents occasionally came a visited... maybe like once a year. I guess Provo didnt have much to offer in the way of amenities. But now that I live in southern california where there is perpetual sunshine, unicorns, and rainbows, i see my parents a lot more. And I like it. When they come we completely take advantage of everything southern california has to offer.

While they were here we saw this (and had amazing seats):

Went on lots of bike rides

Surfed and took naps at the beach

Ate good food, played games, and slumber partied all weekend.
I really like when they come. the end.

April, She was born in March

2010-04-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

And so we celebrated the awesomeness that was April with a day full of activities & fun. Seriously, this girl is the most fun, creative, and genuine person I have ever met so celebrating her awesomeness was a pleasure.

We started off the day by putting 27 red balloons in my car before heading to LA. The balloons slowly found their way into the atmosphere throughout the day.

In LA we shagged some balls at the links, went to the museum of tolerance, & hung with the cool kids down in Venice Beach. We capped the day off by heading back to Orange County & the magical land of Disney to meet up with more people who wanted to celebrate April.
At Disney we ate celebratory dessert at the Blue Bayou, caught up with Captain E.O,

and finished off the night with a ride through space.

So heres to April... may this year be filled with awesomeness & more days like this one:

Palm Springs

2010-04-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

We went, we saw, we ate date shakes & had a great time soaking in the sun. Wish you were there.

28 years....

2010-03-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

and still the coolest people I know.

It's true

2010-03-16T19:39:00.001-07:00

But not today!

This week is "finals." In grad school this translates into "turn in those projects and papers you were supposed to be researching and writing all quarter."

Lets face it, I don't operate like that. I thrive/get really crazy under pressure. So in true jess-the-mess style I proceeded to start on two 15 page papers at around 9pm last night. I finished my first in a record 2.5 hours.

This morning after being woken up by a text asking if i survived the earthquake this morning (my current biggest fear) and making sure i had (even though my room would suggest the presence of some sort of natural disaster) i started on my final 15 pager.

This one took significantly more effort since the sun was shining and i couldn't seem to sit still for longer than 10 minutes. Anyway, not like you care, but after a short bike ride to regroup, i finished. This quarter is now officially over! One more to go before i have people calling me a master.... of procrastination and awesomeness that is.

How is it already March?!

2010-03-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

Time has been flying and yet I feel like not a lot has happened. This past week the skies have been blue, the sun has been shining, and spring is starting to show. I love this time of year & can not wait for summer to arrive! Anyway, this week was my last week of classes for the quarter - only 1 more quarter to go, crazy!

I went home a couple of weeks ago. It was great to get out of orange county & kick it with the fam for a couple of days. At home i got to hang with my life long buddies, the dogs. I swear every time i go home I am surprised & happy to see mr. max still alive. I also made french macaroons somewhat successfully with su madre & learned some new quilting skills. It was also fun to joke with my bro & dad. I love my family!

Because the weather has been so great Ive been able to ride my bike more. April & i went went on a ride through irvine, down the 133 to laguna ( which we successfully did without tire problems this time). We stopped in the middle for a hike at some laguna wilderness park that ended up being a lot longer than we planned on, but definitely fun. While i did walk away with sore thighs and my first sunburn of the year this week has made me so excited for the upcoming months and all the fun things to see & do!

Dear Disney,

2010-02-22T00:23:00.000-08:00

First Alice in Wonderland and now this:

What will you come up with next?

I can't wait!

Your company continues to amaze me with the endeavors you take on.
It's just too bad that there had to be a death for this awesomeness to reappear.
Please keep up the good work.

Sincerely ,
JKRDL

P.S. could you possible do something with the star tours show/ride? Upon exiting I feel as if i have left the cheap gravitron ride at the fair. Its not a good feeling. I think you could do better.

Jason Schwartzman + Coconut Records + a Coppola = Mesmerizing & Awesome

2010-02-18T23:16:00.000-08:00

non plus one final from Tracy ANTONOPOULOS on Vimeo.

Keys to Successful Dating

2010-02-18T22:10:00.000-08:00

I am single. Most of my friends are also single. Obviously dating is a common topic among us. A couple of Sundays ago we had dinner with a group of single twenty somethings. The host of the dinner had this amazing book:

"Keys to Successful Dating: Dating Dynamics" by John D. Hawkes (1973).

That evening this book provided us with some solid entertainment. After that night I decided I needed Keys to Successful Dating in my personal library.

I figure I could use some success in my dating life & I am open to some words of wisdom. Who better to learn from than John, who "was single during the writing of this book, with 17 years of dating experience behind him."? So, as I embark upon a journey of learning and gaining greater insight to the mysteries of dating I will try to share the secrets that I have obviously been missing.

Here are just a few of my favorite parts so far:

1. The dedication in this book is to: me. Yes that is right "Dedicated to your personal success in dating." Thank you John, Thank you.

2. The handwritten note at the end from the previous reader:

"Making contact, overcoming shyness, communication, and body language" I hope whoever wrote that is no longer an awkward member of society.

3. The lists of Undesirable & Desirable traits of a dating partner (they are numbered)

Undesirable:
1. Dishonest & untruthful
6. Picks nose or teeth in public
7. (Girls) Uses too much make-up and puts it on in public
14. Flirts with others on date
15. Has body odors and bad breath
17. Uses poor English grammar
19. Overweight and sluggish
23. Wears rings on wedding finger

(I thought these were undesirable regardless of your dating situation)

Desirable:
1. Comes from a good family (Yes, that is really #1 on the list)
5.Interested in cultural things-- music, art, books, etc...
17. Adaptable to situations, not too rigid.
20. Does special romantic things occasionally (only occasionally? and shouldn't that be higher on the list?)

Anyway, stay tuned I'm sure there will be more tips worth passing on.

I like activities

2010-01-31T17:18:00.000-08:00

Going snowboarding is hands down one of my most favorite past times.

After Christmas vacation Erin, April, and I decided to head up to Mt. Baldy to get our shred on.
To our surprise this is how the mountain looked when we pulled into the sparse parking lot.

I died. I could not stop laughing. Seriously? We asked others around us if the resort was really open and decided to give it a go.

Because of the lack of snow we had to hold our boards on the lift.

Fortunately, At the top there was snow.

Unfortunately, each run was a death trap of rocks and sticks. After a couple of hours we decided to spare what was left of our boards and head home.

Now that the crazy wind, rain, and tornado warning weather has passed there is plenty of snow to keep us happy campers for a while.

Biking. I love to ride bikes.
A few weeks ago April & I did the Mountain to Sea trail.
We found a random rack in April's garage and hoped it was a bike rack. After much agony and confusion we realized it indeed was a rack but whoever put it together did not know what they were doing.

We figured it out.

We rode. We found this awesome park.

Its the Incredible Edible Park.

Its run by a food bank and is in the middle of a totally urban area.The park supplies around 300,000 lbs. of food each year to shelters throughout Orange County.
I love the concept.

Hello 2010

2010-01-30T19:56:00.000-08:00

Last year we decided to go to San Francisco/ Monterrey / San Jose to ring in the new year. The weekend included lots of walking, good eats, and a rather large, but fun, group of people.

Someone Left the Cake out in the Rain

2010-01-21T19:53:00.001-08:00

I dont think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again, oh no.

These lyrics are from this song. I heard it playing on the radio today. I was taken aback at how passionate Donna Summer was about her cake being left in the rain.

Maybe one day I'll write a song about my set of watercolors. After an afternoon of painting i set them on the back of my moms car. Later that day she drove off and i never saw them again.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks it sucks to lose something you could have easily prevented.

Stayed tuned for the end of 2009....

2010-01-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

and the ringing in of 2010. It's pronounced twenty-ten.

Christmas Chaos

2010-01-07T23:02:00.000-08:00

The weeks leading up Christmas was crazy and so much fun. Here are the highlights:

1. Celebrating the birth of the wonderful Adrienne Curry with soup in bread bowls, an amazing cake made by M. McAwesome, and the Balboa boat parade.

2. Britt came and chilled before heading home. We celebrated her arrival by visiting the happiest place on earth.

The lights, decorations, and fireworks during the holidays are gorgeous.

3. Ice skating at the Irvine Spectrum.

4. Christmas.

As a throwback to the old country we had Rocklett and Fondue for our Christmas eve dinner. The very cheesey and delicious dinner was followed by the decorating of the tree ( the one not in the front window), homemade ginger bread, and the Christmas story. I love tradition. The rest of the week was filled with rockband, puzzles, games, and the first 48.

New Obsession

2010-01-07T22:52:00.001-08:00

Cameras. I never knew how awesome these things are. I bought and broke a fisheye camera in the span of three weeks. Before breaking said camera I got a few pictures. They are not good by any means but i love them.

Disco Ball. My room, Ca.

Neutra House. Silverlake, Ca.

Matt. Newport Beach, Ca.

The best gem of all- the Dian F+. My sister gave me the diana for christmas. Its awesome! And i have a instant back for it.

Lindsey. Instant photo.

Dear Planning Studio....

2010-01-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

You have caused my vacation to come to an end.
I can think of a million things i can be doing instead of sitting in class from 7-10pm, two nights a week. I only have one question, why couldn't you be during the day, when I have my other classes?
You suck.

Best Regards,
Odium.

The latest happenings

2009-12-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

If i could make time stand still i would. Life is so good right now. The weather is cooling down, snowboarding season will soon be upon us, and i love the holidays. Here is a run down of the latest. Nothing too exciting.

1. Fun. Fun. is awesome. Especially live. Their name suits them, they are definitely lots of fun.

2. Thanksgiving.
this year was strange. It was the first year not at home with all the fam. The parents and matt came down and hung out with me for the weekend. My camera broke so I have 1 picture.

Matt got his christmas present early this year- a new board. The weekend consisted of surfing, bike rides, farmers market, lots of wii playing, and movies. It was fun to just hang and pretend i had no school work for a weekend. Im excited to go home for christmas and reunite our super awesome band. Hopefully the parents will not fight over who gets to play the drums this time.

3. Your a mean one..

Mr. Grinch. To kick off the holiday season, the girls and i headed to LA to see the Grinch at the Pantages. It was cute and festive.

4. Last but definitely not least....

Jerry Seinfeld. O how i love him and his ridiculously awesome sense of humor. Last weekend, after missing our train to san diego by literally seconds, we cruised down to SD to see Seinfeld live. He was hilarious. If i died today it would be with a smile on my face because i have been thinking about his jokes all week.

The end.

april- i swear one day i will start bringing a camera so i dont have to use your pictures for everything.

Half way there

2009-12-03T01:18:00.000-08:00

This was me at approximately 3:20pm today:

I was jumping for joy & reveling in the most amazing feeling of relief.
I turned in the first half of my PR/Graduate thesis!
It was definitely not the highest quality of work but at least it is done.

2009-11-22T02:38:00.000-08:00

its true. I listen to Christmas music all year round. I love it.

I also love postsecrets.

Marth Stewart Moment #1

2009-11-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

When I moved a couple of weeks ago I decided I wanted a headboard for my bed. I knew that my crafts on crack skills would not suffice so i enlisted the ever crafty April G to help.

This is what we made.

Some plywood, padding, micro suede and about 10,000 staples later this is how it turned out.

I love it!

we also hung the disco ball - we're pretty ambitious when it comes to DIY.

Best Costume for the day

2009-11-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

I happened upon the Grey Gardens documentary at the library yesterday.
This is my favorite part:

I love her last line- "mother wanted me to come out in a kimono so we had quite a fight."I also love the fact that it is perfectly acceptable to think a skirt can easily be used as a cape.

Its on the list...

2009-11-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

I have a serious problem.
With the end of the quarter fast approaching I find myself becoming more and more behind. I didnt even realize it until I started finding lists everywhere: in my room, car, school bag, purse, work desk, and the pockets of my jeans & jackets.

I feel like I am turning into the uni-bomber. I have compiled all my lists together and have decided that starting tomorrow I am not going to do anything that is not on the list (note: i do have some fun stuff on the it- like the FUN concert tomorrow night). Or maybe ill start working on it the day after tomorrow...

Its a Mystery..... A Murder Mystery

2009-11-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

The Friday before Halloween we had a murder mystery dinner party. The theme was white trash. Everyone got really into it. It was awesome.

Saturday / Halloween was a crazy day. Lindsey & I ended up moving so it was a long day but when the night rolled around things instantly got better.

We went to a couple of parties as wizard of oz characters sans Dorthy.

It was fun.

Words to Live By

2009-10-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

Biking- its sustainable & fun

2009-10-30T00:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend April & I went on the ultimate bike ride from Newport to Irvine & Costa Mesa. We started our morning with a stop at the farmers market in Irvine. The vendors know where its at when it comes to handing out samples,its basically an outdoor Costco.

From Irvine we rode to Costa Mesa where we hit up the Goodwill to find some costumes and crafting goods.

Then back to Newport. On the way I bought this not so little gem & hung it in a trashbag from my backpack.

I don't want anyone to be jealous but yes, its a disco ball & it's super rad, I can't wait to hang it up.

Fall Football

2009-10-30T00:15:00.001-07:00

If you are reading this you obviously know I LOVE football. False. I do not. But i do LOVE these people:

And dont mind watching football with them. Go Cougs!

Cruise-n through life

2009-10-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went on a cruise with these two fabulous ladies

(nothing says classy like a cocktail on the grand staircase)

Our weekend getaway took place on the Elation ship to the ever glamorous local of Ensenada, Mexico.

Upon boarding the ship we immediately saw what our future held for us - it looks something like this

After the obligatory safety demonstration

we got down to business

Every night included karaoke (do not be fooled- i did not participate) & dancing in the clubs.

It wasn't until the second night that April decided to get very serious & whip out the leather pants. It was these very magical pants that brought men to their knees & the urge to pick her up & spin her around.

The day time was spent reading, hanging by the pool, raiding the yogurt machine, learning the dance moves to thriller, & going down the water slide w/the children.

The day we were on land (which Cardoza, our chamber maid, was kind enough to wake us up because he feared we would miss out on Encenada) We decided to rent scooters. There were only 2 scooters so I was lucky enough to be a passenger. We rode around Ensenada, checked out the local walmart, & then headed to the beach.

After the beach we returned the scooters - with only a minor accident. Morgan- do you need medical assistance?

Too bad we didnt see this sign before we got off the boat.

Walking around in Mexico, land of pharmacies & cat calls, we were able to get the full Mexican experience

we wore sombreros

was serenaded by mariachi music

and asked to buy chicklets, braclets w/ridiculous sayings, and leather goods.

Basically this weekend was full of good food, great friends, and amazingly fun times.

Take the Chain from off the door

2009-10-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

So you can let Ingrid Michaelson into your life

Last week I attended her concert here

With these people

At first we were by the garbage can

After some undercover maneuvers, and Aprils friend making skills we ended up here...

Sitting on the stage.... About 4 feet from Ingrid and her band

This man also decided to show up. He even sang a song w/Ingrid

I love Greg Laswell.

and Ingrid's new album - Everybody.
and concerts
and fun
the end.

Dear Parentals,

2009-09-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

I got another ticket. When you receive the pretty pink slip in the mail will you kindly forward it to me? I would greatly appreciate it.

Regards,
Your reckless driver.

I cant think of anthing better...

2009-09-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

to do then dance the night away. Last night Shiny Toy Guns had a free concert in the park at UC Irvine - definitely a benefit to still being a student. The night was full of awesome music, crazy dance moves, & fun friends.

My life would suck...

2009-09-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

If i wasn't having so much fun! Here are some hi-lites since i have been back in CDM.

1. First time experiencing segregation. Ok, it wasn't on purpose but it happened. Dinner at Guppies ended up being dinner at a table in the parking lot / street of guppies. Our table was the furthest away from all the others & we were the only white people there. I seriously was worried my arm would be gone before the meal was over.

Dos. Disneyland - kickin it old school. Started off the night with Fantasmic & fireworks show then spent the rest of the night in Adventureland riding the carasol, teacups & other silly rides.

3. OMG! you guys- April & i went to Legally Blond in LA. It was fantastically entertaing but would have been so much better if there was a different lead.

4. Dancing at Oceans.

5. Last but definitley not least- Kelly Clarkson! April, Adrienne, Morgan & i got free tickets to the samsung / jimmy kimmel concert at the Kodak theater. Basically Kelly is amazing live. We danced and rocked the night away - so much fun!

(stolen from aprils blog- sorry dude - i will never be as cool as you)

Some days are just harder than others

2009-09-13T19:03:00.001-07:00

lets be honest- sometimes getting ready for church is painful.

Especially when you have nothing to wear.

it happend one night....

2009-09-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

WARNING: the following story is really lame

After surviving our treacherous, yet tasty, meal in the street at Guppies, watching a terribly boring & horrible movie - Revolutionary Road Adrienne & i came home to a dark house and a closed window. (dont be fooled- the night was actually a lot of fun).

When we left earlier in the day we were joking about leaving our bedroom window open and having something like this happening to us one day...

Creepy peepers peeping in our window. However, when we returned at 11:30pm to a house that was completely dark with the front porch light out & our bedroom window shut, we no longer found our earlier musings funny.

We were most certain that someone had not only peeped through the window but also decided to crawl into our house.

This train of thought then led to visions of men standing in our midget closet or acting like a plant in our giant pot next to the door, waiting for us to come in & do who knows what.

After driving around & countless texts to see if our guy friends were awake Heman came to our rescue. Being a student of police studies we found out quickly that Heman was the perfect guy to call- he checked every closet, under the beds, behind the shower curtain, and even the 14inch space between our stove & cabinets. Alas, there were no creepy men hiding in the house & everything was in its place.

Just because our house was visually safe and secure does not mean that another call was not placed to Heman after he left because of the strange sounds that were heard (the fan was blowing a book jacket that was hitting the coffee table) or that we slept with our bedroom door locked. Yes I am a whimp- but at least i was able to sleep soundly.

The question still stands- how did the window, that takes quite the arm strength to open & close & caused such fear in our hearts, get shut on this sunny Labor day afternoon? It's a mystery.

(Actually, i now know, but im not going to say).

2009-08-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Athens

2009-08-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Alonissos, Greece

2009-08-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

I am in heaven. I absolutely love Greece! It has been very strange being in a place where the language doesnt use the same alphabet and the people think i am from the UK or Spain (we found out American's rarely come to Alonissos). The buildings are all white washed with accents of blue, the beaches are rocky, and the water is crystal clear and the bluest of blues.

The first day here we went up the hill to the old town & got the most spectacular view of the island as well as the surrounding islands. Walking through the old city we quickly realized that everything in Greece shuts down from 2 to 5 in the afternoon then reopens until late into the night. Because everything was closed we just dingled around the ghost town until promtly 5 when everything instantly came to life- kind of strange.

Yesterday we took the ultimate taxi ride towards the end of the island to the Agios Demetrius beach. Im pretty sure my mom was convinced she was going to die from the hairpin curves on the gravel roads that switchbacked up and down the hills the driver was taking at unreal speeds. I on the other hand found it highly entertaining & believed if she was going to die it was going to be from a panic attack and not from a car accident. We made it and 7 hours later when the driver came back to pick us up we luckily took a more civil route back to our hotel.

Today we went on a boat that took us around the islands, to a couple of beaches, a ship wreck, and a cave. I was pretty bummed we didnt get to go into the cave, the water was too tumultuous and Im pretty sure the lady who crawled on her hands and knees up the captain had something to do with this decision. The boating excursion was the ultimate- dolphins, constant offering of beverages & snacks, a stop at a seaside restaurant for a greek lunch, and being on the water and the beach all day was defintely a day well spent.

Venice

2009-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

We spent most of our time in Venice just hanging out and getting lost. Because the city is made up of so many island and has a medieval layout we had ample opportunity to wander around. The winding streets and endless bridges ensured we would never take the same route twice, even if we wanted to- our map was ultimately deemed useless.

On one of our days we took a water bus from St. Marks out to Murano. Murano is famous for it's hand blown Venetian glass. The island is filled with shops and glass factories where you can see the demonstrations of the glass making process and buy the glass goods. Even though it ended up being a hot day the trip out to the island was definitely worth it.

On top of the world

2009-08-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our trip into Switzerland started with a wild goose chase to find some plates. These plates have been haunting me the whole trip. Supposedly they are supposed to be really common and easy to find. False. they are not easy to find. My first trip to the factory in Rheinfeld, during my stay in Frieburg, could have potentially ended in a "taken" moment. This second trip with su madre ended up being a lot more successful- we definitely struck gold & all it took was some wandering around, 20 minutes sitting on a bus at the station, & a 3 min 2 stop bus ride. I am now a proud owner of hand painted Rheinfelder Keramik plates. What am i going to do with them? I have no idea.

,
Score!

From Rheinfled we took a train to Interlaken then Lauterbrunen. A bus from Lauterbrunen to a gondola, then a gondola up to Gimmelwald- a small town up in the Alps. It is seriously postcard perfect. Green, lush, wood chalets, cows with bells, and an amazing view from anywhere you are.

Yesterday we took a hike up to Muren to check out the town and then down to Lauterbrunen to take the train into Interlaken. The hike was ridiculous- i pity the fools who were going up- i dont think they knew what they had coming. Besides the trail being for experts- which I clearly am not, it was absolutely stunning! Waterfalls around every corner, sound of music meadows & spectacular views of the surrounding Alps and villages below.

the water is a crazy tealish blue color

Today we went up to the highest peak in the region- Schilthorn. We opted to not take the 3 mile, 4,500 ft elevation incline hike, and decided the gondola would be our best bet. At the top the views were more spectacular than I can even describe. I could literally see the clouds forming below me- totally nuts! If you are old enough (dad) you might recognize the rotating restaurant at the top of the mountian from the James Bond movie- On Her Majesties Secret Service.

City Blitz..... Or "our adventures in Europe"

2009-08-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

After being around 30 people for a month & having "class" I am officially done with the obligatory learning portion of my trip.

To celebrate the end of classes we went for a hike in the black forest.

Then met su madre in Berlin! & thus began our great city blitz through Europe, or as she also appropriately calls it "our adventures in Euorpe."

Berlin Hi-lites:

Robert Raushenburg sculpture @ the Sony Center/ Potsdamerplatz

Forget the historical stuff- The Saudi Embassy is probably the most under appreciated building in the City.

Jewish Memorial

From Berlin we headed to Amsterdam- also where the jankiest bikes from around the world are hidden.

bike parking- its insane!

We took a side trip to Delft- home of the blue & white pattern china
and aisan markets- who knew? we found a random windmill & were able to go inside & to the top- lucky!

The early mornings & trains allow for many naps
Next up was Bruges:

Laurenzino's Belgiam Waffels- can't get enough & the real reason i made my mom come here.

We went for a bike ride along the canal. this path was supposed to take us to the beach...

We ended up on a dirt path through corn fields & across international boarders- back into the Netherlands. Needless to say we never made it- ultimate fail.

A trip to Belgium wouldn't be complete w/out some chocolate. The best way to enjoy it is through a warm cup of "the worlds best hot chocolate." It very well could have been the best cup i have ever had.

From Bruges we did Paris in a day....

We pretty much only ate crepes, went to the eiffiel tower &...

took naps at the Luxembourg Gardens.

O- & we made it to the best spot in paris- Monmarte!

Bike rides, Castles, & Lakes

2009-07-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

As part of our class we have been riding a lot of public transportation so when we found out we would be getting bikes to cruise around Odense and Frieburg we pretty much went nuts.

Who knew (besides my parents) biking could actually be a lot of fun? Over the past couple of weeks there have been some pretty bad spill, the worst being a girl who tried to get out of the way of two electric trams and ended up bashing her nose on the curb. Our professors wife also ate it really bad when she slammed on the front brake while going down a giant hill then flipped over the front of the bike-blood was everywhere! Luckily I have thus far escaped having a personal relationship with the pavement.

We went to Egsekov castle- its supposed to be where dracula lives but i wasnt convinced. The inside was rather boring but the grounds proved to be oddles of fun. We did 3 labryinths, walked in the tree tops and found the secret hammocks of the count who currently lives there.

Last weekend a couple of us decided to go on a day trip to Lucerne, Switzerland.We rented a paddleboat and hung around Lake Lucerne for a while then walked around. Switzerland is probably the most gorgeous place i have been so far- i love it!

March 5, 2010

2009-07-23T13:09:00.001-07:00

Saw pics for this today. i can't wait!

Alice in Wonderland Trailer

Islands are fun

2009-07-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

We went to Aero today. It was really interesting but we had to get up at 4:45am which made it almost impossible to concentrate on anything that was going on. I am lucky enough to have my handy dandy eye shades & the newly developed skill of sleeping in random public places.
Aero is a totally self sustaining energy producer. The island has about 6,000 people & the homes are really cute & tiny. Wheat is a major source of food and is also used as an energy source.

The day consisted of:
1. naps on ferries, stoops, buses, & a skip through a wheat field

2. a tour of the jankiest district heating and power plant i have ever been to

3. being surrounded by a jellyfish field & assalted by the most horrible stench i have ever smelled

4. My first visit to a wind turbine (or a turban)

5. Many houses with crazy doors.

Copenhagen- City of fairytales

2009-07-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen is where Hans Christian Andersen spent most of his life. Im pretty sure there was major symbiosis occurring between Andersen and Copenhagen. It was not uncommon to see unicorns and mermaids around every corner as well as crazy fairytalish spires on churches. Denmark's currency even has hearts on it- i felt like i was living in disneyland for a couple of days.

The ultimate high lite of Copenhagen was Christiania or Freetown. This district and the city have a mutual understanding that residents of Christiania can do what ever they want as long as hard drugs are not brought into the city. Here is the Christiania Rundown from my experience:

~it is about the size of a city block

~no paved streets- all mud paths
~just walking around you can get high - drugs are sold openly & everybody is just hanging around
~decorum of choice is graffiti
~what is considered a "house" can be anything from a tarp over two poles, a refrigerator attached to a wooden structure, or a blighted barn.
~the cool kids walk around with their giant pit bulls
~pictures are not allowed (but.... i got some) if you take pictures the residents will:
A. Take your camera away & break it
B. Bash your face in
C. All of the above
~showering is frowned upon
~do not go in a group of 3 white girls who obviously have showered and do not fit in.

If Ikea & Dwell combined forces....

2009-07-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Malmo would be the end product.

At first glance/trek through the city i was definitely not impressed. Alas, it has grown on me- i absolutely love this little harbor city. Malmo (it's in Sweden) is relatively older but has recently made a movement towards a more sustainable future by creating carbon neutral neighborhoods and have been pushing the boundaries of what a "green" city can be. Some of my favorites about this city are:

Community/ City owned gardens- The garden we visited was owned by the city and run by the city council. The food from the garden is sold locally at farmer markets and used for lunches at schools around the city. The garden was absolutely gorgeous!

Green Roofs- I got to go up on my first green roof! Pretty uneventful but really interesting to see the different degrees of green roofing as well as some more technical aspects of them. I was a bit sad to find out that green roofs are so 2000 & late- its all about the green walls now.

(green roof does not necessarily mean the color green)

Bo01- I could see my self living here. It was basically a living version of everything in Dwell magazine- my most favorite reading material of all time. I was completley obsessed. This master planned development is a car free, mixed use, carbon neutral development that is home to Santiago Calatrava's Turning Torso. The buildings are all designed by different architects & some of the buildings are family designed co-ops. Bo01 is also called Western Harbor and has an extensive water front that is a heavily used public space.

The Old- Malmo is focusing on infill and brownfield development which has allowed the old city to continue to thrive. The old buildings, plazas, and parks are just as fascinating and beautiful as the new developemnts.

Bikes - This city has an extensive bike system so getting around is easy, economical, and fun! I love biking!

Water- lots of it.

Stockholm- land of many islands

2009-07-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Things i have learned in Stockholm:

1. Famous people are not a big deal- unless you are an american and happen to see one

that is Will Ferrel. He just happened to walk by me a couple of times at the museum.

2. Lemurs- they too like to sit on benches & make friends.

3. Houses seem to grow right out of the ground- it's sustainable.

4.Dala horses are both functional and pretty.

5. The men are progressive in their style choices.

6. Staying on a boat is like living in a jungle gym.

7.Reconnecting with old friends is most fun when your in another country.

8. it is a really a gorgeous city

Stockholm is Nuts!

2009-07-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

(the view from my port hole, im staying on a boat)

Currently in Stockholm. Being here has been the strangest experience of my life!

I met up with my high school friend Cassie on the Bus to the Beauvis airport outside of Paris. Cassie has not changed since high school- she is still crazy and has the loudest laugh I have ever heard.

On the plane to Stockholm we sat in the front row which made the flight attendants our main source of entertainment. This is where I also learned Cassie forgot to book a hotel for the night. Once arriving we attempted to find a cheap place to stay, but Stockholm is very expensive. We took a taxi cab to the middle of nowhere, then walked back to the city center, proceeded to take a metro to nowhere and ultimately decided we were just going to be gypsies for the night.

Stockholm is only dark for 2 hours a day so the daylight aided in our gypsy ways. McDonalds and 7-11 are seriously on every corner and are open from 8am-5am every day, and are prime hangouts for the club goers as well as our home for the night. Between McDonalds, 7-11, a brief stint sitting on the ground in the metro with real homeless and gypsy people, and the train station we met some real characters and were able to entertain many of the ridicuosly beautiful Stockholm people with our wild tales of real life in America ( they are enamored with American "reality" tv).

Hi-lites for the night included:

a run in with a drunk guy who says he went swimming with Quincy Jones at the police station
being followed by a group of random guys & seriously thinking we would end up dead in the river
Asked if we needed a taxi ride by a guy who obviously was not driving a taxi

and my personal favorite

Being asked to star in a porno

The end.

Paris

2009-07-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

Pretty uneventful. Lots of walking, site seeing, & hanging out.

London Calling

2009-06-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

In people's eyes, in the swing, tramp, and trudge; in the bellow and the uproar; the carriages, motor cars, omnibuses, vans, sandwich men shuffling and swinging; brass bands; barrel organs; in the triumph and the jingle and the strange high singing of some aeroplane overhead was what she loved; life; London; this moment in June.

(Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf)

I Love, love, love London and was sad to leave. Here are a few reasons why i love it:

1. The british are friendly chaps

I met these people randomly at St. James and ended up spending 6 hours bbqing and playing frisbee. Also joining us was a 6 year old named Sanchez (a girl) who played the harmonica, a black man who can catch pigeons with his bare hands, Monty the mini yorkie, & a homeless Czech (i left when he joined).

2. The Parks

I could spend all day just haning out reading and watching people. London has so many & not only are they beautiful they are quite functional & full of activity.

3. The History

I love history, especially Art & Brish History. London has both and its fascinating.

4. Shows.

I find it amusing to watch broadway shows with british accents. It makes me laugh.

5. Hidden Gems.

I found this piece of gold outside of the National Gallery. In case you dont recognize it he is doing MJ's thriller dance.
Note: there is no music and nobody seemed phased by it. Love!

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is Another One.

2009-06-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

The past week has been nuts! People, lots of them. Food, everywhere. Swimming. Family. And a wedding.

Sister Sister

2009-06-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Britt came down on Tuesday & hung out before we drove up to Merced.

We went to Disneyland

The Beach

And got frozen bananas and balboa bars

Then went home

Dirty Dancing

2009-06-11T18:12:00.001-07:00

Yes, I did have the "time of my life." i knew i would the moment i saw the 4 giant disco balls hanging from the ceiling like manna from heaven.

only in southern california.....

2009-06-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

Are weiner mobiles an acceptable form of transportation.

in the past few months i have seen this thing everywhere!

No Doubt about it....

2009-05-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

No Doubt is awesome!!! We went down to San Diego on sat for the No Doubt concert at the Cricket Amphitheater. We spent the day hanging out at the Wave House in Mission bay & walking around. The Sounds & Paramore opened the show then No Doubt rocked out for the next two hours. We had lawn seats so we definitely were not close but we had an awesome group o & had a ton of fun dancing the night away.

San Fran

2009-05-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Went to San Fran last weekend. Left around 7pm & got to April's house in San Jose around 2. Kyle & Gary got tickets for the Giants game on Sat. So we spent the day chillin at the park. Well more like sweating at the park- it was Hot! but it was a ton of fun even though the giants lost. After April & i went back to her house & the guys went to kyle's family. We headed back to Newport on Sunday.
(pictures stolen from april- some might say i am lucky to be friends with her)

Guess who got another ticket....

2009-05-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

if you guessed me - congratulations, sherlock.

That puts my current unpaid parking ticket total to 3. Im pretty sure i am single handily going to get the state of ca out of their budget crisis.

so heres to you city of newport beach & irvine.

Bulthaup's b2

2009-05-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with the b2 system. I have made it a goal of mine to buy a place by the time i am 27.

thats right- ive given my self 5 years to finish grad school, get a job, & buy a condo/townhouse/house so i can install this beauty. Anyway, who knows what will be going on in 5 years. I cant stop looking at it & thinking about how awesome it is! I mean it is the ultimate when it comes to kitchens.

O mother....

2009-05-10T17:21:00.001-07:00

Not so little brother

2009-05-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Mr. Matt came down last week to hang out and celebrate his 17th birthday- Its so crazy how old he is! Anyway he is a super cool dude & tons of fun to hang with. While he was here we spent a day at disneyland, walking around downtown Huntington, eating lots froYo and surfing as much as possible. Needless to say I love my bro- hopefully he will be down here next year for school (maybe even playing football?!).

Love Love Love!

2009-04-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

Lenka + Greg Laswell = Night of Awesomeness

Im pretty sure both are under appreciated- there were at most 50 people at the show. I thought there would have been a lot more but I cant complain because I was definitely at an advantage with the smaller crowd- great stage positioning!

G. Laswell did the same set and even the same jokes that he did for Rachael Yamagata but his voice is so silky i didnt even care.

Lenka did every song off her album plus a cover of zombies "the way i feel inside" and 2 new songs - she is such a good performer & her set was handmade by her & her band mates! Pure Awesomeness- did i mention she also played the cazoo!!

Its a Joke Nobody Knows

2009-04-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've got a ticket to the Show!!!

Boys Boys Boys... we like boys in cars

2009-04-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

It pays to have eagle scouts as friends!

While walking down the pier my sandal broke! It was pretty tragic but being with boys they fixed it in less than 2 seconds! Steve had a rubber band around his wrist, which I then proceeded to wrap around my foot & sandal. Definitely a McGiever move.

This weekend i hung out with the boys- which always proves to be fun & interesting

Fri- went to the Moscow Deli. Russian deli to the max. Everything in the store was uber crazy & seemed to be from another world! The women who ran it were from Siberia!

Sat- Went to Santa Monica, grabbed dinner at Wolf Gang Puck, walked around the 3rd St. Promenade (which was full of crazy street artists & dancers), walked the Pier, and then got some Gelato!

Its Birtney B#@ch!

2009-04-19T01:07:00.000-07:00

Thats right I went to the Britney Spears concert!!! I flew into SL,UT tues morning & flew out wed night. It was a really quick trip but it was FUN FUN FUN!

Here are some hi-lites from the trip (besides brittney of course!)

~Losing my Riga Ring- then Britt finding it an hour later in a random store
~Having the Trax Tram honk at us and tell us to get off the Trax!
~Rain & Snow- it was 80 & Sunny in CDM
~Having the power go out & the car stuck in the garage 1hr before the concert- Glen used his man power to get the door open
~Parking meters- backing into a spot & figuring out which meter goes to the space proved difficult on multiple occasions
~The hospital- i didnt get the memo to bring my oxygen tank
~provo- running errands & catching up with nicole

Concert was amazing- i wouldn't have expected anything less. Lip sing, Circus acts, fire, & scandalous costumes makes for extraordinary entertainment!

22 & Counting

2009-04-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

I hate birthdays. i think it might have to do with past birthdays- i tended to cry a lot & i mean every year until i was about 13-you can ask anyone in my family.

Now that i am mature & no longer a crier all i wish for every year is an apple pie, a good book and maybe a board game or a puzzle.

Hearing Altered Images is a plus.

I also would not be opposed to playing a rousing game of hide & go seek in the dark.

This ones for the...

2009-04-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Lonely

The ones that seek to find
only to be let down
time after time

For the torn down

For the faithless
for believing
if only for it's sake

For the ones who stand
who try again
who need a hand
the ones who think they can

2009-04-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

Take Me Anywhere

2009-03-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

I bought my ticket to europe tonight!!! Yeppers I get to peace out of the country for 2 months. Im pretty stoked. Watch out you crazy EUers- im coming back!

If you want to come looking for me you can find me here:

Stockholm,

Or Here:

Malmo, Copenhagen, Odense, Freiburg, Strasbourg,Zurich, Madrid, London, Berlin, Athens, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Bruges, Paris, Bern, Gryon, Milan, Skopolos, or Venice.

Worn Me Down...

2009-03-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a quick 3 day road trip to Utah with the parentals. The ride was long. On the way it got so hot in the car i went to sleep in sweatpants and a sweatshirt and woke up with no pants, but really whats new?! im always losing my pants when i sleep but it was definitely warranted this time!

Left newport at 5:00am and got to P-town around 5:00pm, dropped dad off and head to SLUT to meet up w/britt and get some Cafe Rio.

Saturday went to Jessica's bridal shower in practically idaho. it was fun. Britt and i peaced out and headed to the most amazing concert-Rachael Yamagata- almost as amazing as imogen heap. An added bonus was Greg Laswell opened the show. Basically it was pure awesomness and we had great seats- Rachael Yamagata & Greg Laswell are at their best live!

What Do You Do On Your Day Off?

2009-03-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

This is the first spring break i have had since high school & i am loving it!

This past weekend i went home & chilled with the parentals, matt, & mister peepers. Fun times to be had!

I worked yesterday, so today was my first day to really do nothing- and dude i totally excel at nothingness!

I started off the morning by sleeping in until 11:00am followed by an hour of laying on the beach and working on the tan. After the wind, which had been a minor inconvenience, turned into a full sand storm Lindsey & i decided to call it quits and just go layout in our "back yard."

We currently have construction workers working on the house next to ours, as well as the main house connected to our cottage so there were men everywhere & im pretty sure we made their day. We laided out for another 2 hours and then i had to leave to take adrienne to get her tooth pulled. While i was gone the workers turned the sprinklers on and laughed as lindsey got wet.

with sandy hair, slightly tanned skin, & a smile on my face i have to say ive been missing out on this whole spring break thing!

Productivity is not my middle name..... Awesome is

2009-03-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

i have spent all day "writing" my quarter long research paper for transportation (i know boring right!) but lets face it... i am easily distracted and have written about 4 pages of the requisite 12 ( which i really translate into 10 +1 cover page & 1 bibliography)!

Even though this paper will never get written i did:
sleep in (like every other day of my life)
make a bracelet out of starburst wrappers
played a couple hours of tennis with the boys
took a nap,
did some somersaults and handstands in the living room
contemplated washing my car (but decided i HAD to write my paper,
started watching Australia ( it was getting a little long and again decided i needed to write that damn paper).
pretended to be working when A got home

Lets just say i am getting restless and unproductive in my old age.