Yellow and Orange

Sigh....

2008-10-06T20:22:00.002-05:00

I think I need to write what's in my head. I need to tell someone who will listen and since my blog is out there in cyber land, it's someone/thing to me. Whatever works I guess. What I'm trying to say is that this post may or may not be that interesting. Ha.

Something has to give soon or I feel like I'm totally going to lose it. I went from loving living in Italy, loving living with Bil, loving Bil, wandering gorgeous streets, and being happier than I'd been in a long time to working part-time, living in my Mom's living room and not being able to find a job ANYWHERE. What gives? Why can't I find a job? Seriously? How many jobs do I have to apply for before something gives? It's been four fucking months. FOUR! Over four months since I saw Bil, since I saw some of my closest friends, and even longer since I've seen other friends.

I miss Bil like crazy. Crazy. It's going to be another 4, 5, 6 or more months. How aggravating. I'm not sure how I'm going to make it quite honestly. I don't have enough money to go see him and even if I did, I'm not sure I'd want to because if his visa doesn't get approved, I'll have to go there to get married and come back here and start all over again. Blah.

And fucking jobs. Fucking, fucking jobs. Whew. I needed some f-bombs, sorry about that. I had that interview two weeks ago and am still waiting. I don't think it's that weird because I know the HR lady was on vacation for a week ending last Thursday. I left a message Friday and haven't heard. I've been trying to tell myself that it's ok if I don't get this job, but I don't think I'll be ok if I don't get it. I don't want to hear tomorrow because I work all day. I won't be checking my phone on my breaks, I can tell you that.

Anyway, I just needed to whine a little. There are more things that are bugging me, at least one I can't talk about here.

Sigh..........

Gratitude

2008-10-01T23:53:00.002-05:00

I've been having a slight problem with wallowing in my own self-pity lately so I'm trying to gain some perspective with listing things I'm grateful for.

*the outstanding opportunity I had to live in Italy for 9 months
*my amazing Mom
*a job I was able to come back to
*an amazing man that loves me and says super sweet things to me over the phone (and makes me cry while sitting in my car outside my house)
*LUSH, oh how I love thee
*MAC. Yes, I said MAC. I'm wearing makeup, weird.
*Sephora too. I have to say I liked the Sephora in Florence better than the one in the Mall of America because it was smaller and much less intimidating! I'm sure I'll come to appreciate the bigger one in time
*Great friends

Why do I like these things???

2008-09-27T20:20:00.004-05:00

Do you remember your first kiss?
Nope, actually I don't. I remember my first kiss with Bil. It was electric.

What was the last thing someone bought you?
Well, my Mom buys the food and she bought some the other day. So, the other day.

Where will you be two months from now?
I'll have a wonderful job at an amazing company. And I'll live in a great apartment. Bil's paperwork will have been approved or is close to being approved. It will all be good two months from now :)

Do you believe that you are a good boyfriend or girlfriend?
Yes I am. In fact, I'm magnificent.

What do you want to be when you're older?
Fabulous.

Are you someone to brag about yourself?
No, I don't like to brag about myself.

Is the last person you kissed mad at you?
No, he's not mad at me.

In the past week have you felt sad?
Yes, I have.

Has someone disappointed you recently?
A petty thing at the bookstore disappointed me. But, the person involved is a total douchebag so I'm brushing it off.

Do you feel comfortable with answering personal questions?
Most of the time, yes.

Does anyone call you baby?
Bil does. If anyone else does, I'd be super creeped out.

Do you think you're wasting your time on the person you like?
Nope, I'm not. I know I'm not.

Are you crazy?
Crazy in love. Hahahaha.

Do you think you'll be married in ten years?
Yes, I will be.

Looking back, did you ever waste too much time on a certain boy or girl?
Nope. I learned from every situation. There are a few that I wish I would have learned a little faster!

Anyone come back into your life lately?
Just people on Facebook, nothing too dramatic.

Have you ever regretted letting someone go?
No, I haven't.

What do the majority of people in your life call you?
Toni, I'd prefer it.

Ever got really drunk and can't remember what happened?
Nope. I remember every embarrassing moment!

Have you ever slept with a member of the opposite sex without actually having sex?
Yes, plenty of times.

What did you do last Saturday night?
Nothing I'm sure.

Are you wearing something you borrowed from someone?
Nope

What is your current problem?
Money, finding a job, getting Bil here, living in my Mom's living room, not living in Italy.

What do you always take with you?
My phone and my wallet.

Have you ever talked to someone when they were high?
I'm sure I have.

I think I like these surveys because they make me think. I definitely don't write down everything I think about when filling these out and they really get me thinking. Man, I'm a nerd.

Things are things here. Still looking for a job. Still living at home. Still missing Bil. Blah.

I haven't had a lot of great things to blog about, but I do have some ideas. We'll see what I come up with.

Inshallah

2008-09-24T18:24:00.003-05:00

I recently found this photo blog which has some amazing photos taken around the World of all different kinds of events. These are just a sample of the pictures taken in their Ramadan series. This lunar month, the Muslim population of the World is celebrating Ramadan. They fast from sun up to sun down and break their fast with a mini-celebration each night (some are more than mini, but in my experience with Ramadan they are mini). I don't know much about the traditions and religious significance behind Ramadan and Eid, but I have a feeling I will be learning quite a bit throughout my life. These are the kind of photos I would love to take. To experience bits of culture with people in their countries. To find out why they do things, how they do things, and especially how food is incorporated into their traditions. And then I want to share those photos and experiences with people all over the world. That's my ultimate dream.

Who thinks this crap looks good?

2008-09-16T23:41:00.000-05:00

I've been reading the Cake Wrecks blog ever since Rachel posted it on Google Reader (love you Google Reader, love you). The most recent post at Cake Wrecks had me in stitches. Hilarious. What are these decorators thinking? Does someone really thinks this crap looks good? Really? The Curious George cake is by far my favorite. Horrid.

An indirect tag

2008-09-11T22:23:00.002-05:00

I was unformally tagged by L. So, here I am :)

1. What were you doing ten years ago:
I was 17, just started my senior year of high school. I went to every football game that year because I had a HUGE crush on a football player and no interest in football. I also spent a lot of time with the Special Ed kids both in my spare time and during school. I was Captain of the Youth Service Club and involved in tons of volunteering stuff.

2. Five things on my to do list for today (I'm going for tomorrow since it's almost bedtime):
a) Go to the new library, if it's open
b) Mail packages
c) Bake a banana cake
d) Go for a bike ride if it's not raining
e) Talk to Bil on the phone

3. What is your favorite snack?
Oh geez. I love snacks. All snacks. All of them.

4. If I were a millionaire I would...
Pay off my student loan
Move to Italy
Spend a bunch of time in Tunisia
Hire a tutor to teach me Arabic
Travel to all 50 states

5. Places I have lived:
Mankato, MN
Sauk Rapids, MN
St. Cloud, MN
Moorhead, MN
Fargo, ND
Florence, Italy

I'm not going to tag anyone...because I don't want to! So there.

Thank you, Jane Green

2008-09-08T21:02:00.000-05:00

I've been reading author Jane Green's blog lately and am just loving it. Thank you again, Google Reader. I could be their spokesperson; maybe they're hiring, I still need a job! This post had me laughing out loud. I almost never get into politics, but I am finding this year's Presidential race interesting (and more important to me than it has been in the past). Sarah Palin's VP nomination is just a little strange to me and really strikes me because it makes me think that Republicans just think women are stupid sheep that are going to vote for McCain/Palin because Palin is a woman. Really, Jane said (and continues to say) what I was thinking.

All about my Bil

2008-09-07T17:02:00.003-05:00

Dawn posted this and I really liked it, so I wanted to post it. Plus, I miss Bil and I like to talk about him.

He = Bil

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
News (in Arabic) or Football (soccer to the Americans)

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
oil and vinegar, I don't think he's ever tasted anything else

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?
I'm not sure there is anything, I've never seen him turn down anything. Well, he doesn't eat pork but not because he doesn't like the taste

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order?
Coke

5. Where did he go to high school?
A city in Tunisia (is it bad that I can't remember the name?)

6. What size shoe does he wear?
European 39

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
I don't think he wants to collect anything, ever. I really have no idea.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Sandwiches full of random things.

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Couscous, but not the American kind.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Not so sure he's even had cereal before.

11. What would he never wear?
We all know he wears his long underwear and I'm not sure that there's something he wouldn't be willing to try on.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Tunisian National Football Team

13. Who will he vote for?
He won't because he can't (and he won't be here)

14. Who is his best friend?
He doesn't have just one best friend

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?
Cry

16. How many states has he lived in?
A lot. At least 7.

17. What is his heritage?
Tunisian

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Probably something like a pound cake. Or a cake made with honey.

19. Did he play sports in high school?
Yes, football.

20. What could he spend hours doing?
Reading the Arabic newspapers online and watching football.

How I miss you ciambellina.

2008-09-04T01:11:00.005-05:00

Maybe I don't need to wait until I get a nice digital camera. What do you think of these pictures? Perhaps I can start a food blog now and then really see how my pictures improve over the course of time? I took these pictures on a random day in a cafe in Italy. Not even using my own camera! I was doing field research actually and just taking pictures to remember the names of the pastries. Do they make you hungry?

It's a poopcake!

2008-08-29T19:53:00.003-05:00

I read A LOT of food blogs. A lot. This post "pooped" up on my Google Reader (if you're a crazy blog reader like I am, you'd love this too...even if you're not, you'll love it) and I immediately started laughing and thought to myself, "that looks like a pile of poop." I read the post and laughed at her description of her "poopcake." I love people who can laugh at themselves. It's also quite ironic that the cupcake didn't turn out the way she wanted it to.

I'm still in the works of creating my own food blog. By in the works, I actually mean that I'm just sitting here thinking about it. I don't have a great camera and point and shoot is not doing so hot. It keeps blacking out. The trips all over Florence and Europe including smashing it into a wall in Barcelona just really did some damage. Just a hint, if you got to Barcelona and view any of Salvador Dali's work watch the stairs. They aren't even.

In other news, today was my Mom's last day of work. Happy Retirement Mom! She doesn't read this blog, but I know she can feel it :) She's VERY excited to be done working...she's worked hard for over 30 years (at the same place) and provided so well for my sister and I. She's truly amazing.

Also, I want a trip. Even a day trip. A night trip. Just a trip. I'll try to think of something I can do locally that won't cost a billion dollars so I can just get out and relax for a little while. Won't be this weekend since I work. I've worked everyday since Monday and don't have a day off until Tuesday. That's a lot when you run around like a chicken with your head cut off everyday. I don't know how people who do physical labor do it. I'm exhausted!

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-26T15:40:00.002-05:00

A year ago today I met my sweet, funny Bil who now lives 5,000 miles away from me. It's been a great journey so far and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

The day we met, I ate Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Pepporoncini (Garlic, Oil, Spicy Pepper Spaghetti) at the restaurant he worked at. He mixed the sugar in my coffee and I agreed to go on a date with him. I'm so glad I did.

This picture was taken just a few hours after we met.

We had our first kiss near these locks. We never "locked" our love by throwing a key into the Arno, but we didn't need to.

I hate this picture because I hate his jacket, but this is the day I got a makeover at the Mac counter in Florence. He saw me a few hours later and I asked him what he thought and he responded, "you have something in your eye." I love how he gets his English just slightly wrong enough to make for some awesome stories.

This was when we took our first train trip to visit his sister in Pordenone, Italy which is an hour north of Venice. I was scared out of my mind, but had an amazing time. Other than his brother's "wife" who pretended like she didn't speak Italian so she didn't have to talk to me. I later learned that no one likes her, but they all like me. So there!

This picture was taken by Dawn when she came to visit using either her camera or mine.

I went on a field trip the first weekend of November to Parma, Ferrara, and Modena and got to wear this really sexy outfit. Bil sent me the only text message he's ever sent me during that weekend. I cried on the bus like a big silly dork!

We always had a good time.

His sister had the cutest baby ever who we visited twice. Here he is almost new!

He loves to cook and never failed to impress me. Or totally desensitize me by cooking food so spicy I couldn't taste it.

Courtney (who has a new and beautiful baby) came to visit and took a few candid pictures of us including this one.

And this one...where he was rubbing his butt warm.

We went again to visit the cutest child ever. I can't wait to see pictures of him again, man, he's so freaking cute. Bil was so good with that baby that I came back to Florence threatening to steal cute Italian babies to take back to America with me.

I spent a lot of time trying to talk to him at the restaurant without getting him in trouble. Half the time, I ended up eating there. They had pretty good pizza...thanks to Salvatore.

I spotted this graffiti near my apartment.

This picture was taken the day before the day I was supposed to leave.

I miss that man!! I wish I could be with him today on our anniversary. I wish that I had a day to count down to. I wish I had some sense of normalcy, but for now I'll just keep living in the moment.

Babyville by Jane Green

2008-08-23T23:32:00.002-05:00

Babyville by Jane Green is a British chick-lit novel that I surprisingly tore through. After reading some book with more serious topics and researching other quite serious topics (Islam and Muslims in America mainly), I was ready for a light read. This book did not disappoint. I found myself wanting to know more about all the characters. In fact, I'm hoping that she has or will write a next installment to this book so I can find out if anything new happened!

I don't remember what I checked out from the library, so I can't remember what's next. I'll be sure to fill you in.

Congrats Courtney!!!

2008-08-22T23:10:00.002-05:00

I can't wait to see pictures!! Hope you're having a great time with Ana. Sending you lots of great sleep because I know you need it!

Let's try this again.

2008-08-18T14:07:00.000-05:00

Kitchen Humor

2008-08-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

Kira-Kira, Olympics, Jobs, Life

2008-08-14T20:15:00.002-05:00

I devoured Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata in the past few days. It was a great story and an easy read (because it's a kid's book). It was an endearing story, extremely well written and something I'd recommend to kids and adults alike. I bought this book for my cousin's 12th birthday and then checked it out from the library to read for myself.

I have really been digging the Olympics. I'm really enjoying watching it and cheering for everyone. I have a hard time not cheering for other countries, especially Italy, but I've been trying to stay loyal. It's really unbelievable to me that there are 208 countries together in Beijing. It's truly amazing. There are some sports that just make me laugh and a few that were totally new to me.

I've been getting some positive feedback in the job front lately which is helping me not to get totally depressed about not finding a job. I'm still looking, looking, looking.

My life is REALLY boring since I've been home. A lot of it is my own fault though. I've been horrible at keeping in contact with people, I have been horrible at getting out of the house and doing things and it's just sinking me. I am trying to watch myself and not get totally depressed. I'm working on it. But, it kind of stinks right now.

Books, Cooking, Music, and Stuff

2008-08-09T10:53:00.003-05:00

I recently read the memoir A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown. What an amazing story. Only 80 pages into the book, she was already drinking, using drugs, had been sexually abused, and was involved in a gang. Unbelievably, the story just gets more interesting from there. It's a great story and really shocking for someone who grew up in Central Minnesota and knows virtually nothing about things of this nature. Granted, I was a Social Work major and I know more than some people, but whew.

I made these Banana Cookie Bars a few weeks back. Man, they were amazing. They are similar to 7-layer bars, but have a chocolately banana base. Delicious.

I've been grooving on this song lately. It makes me happy :)

I still haven't found a job. I've been applying like crazy and have had two good leads this week so I have a little more hope. Time is ticking away faster that I imagined it would so I really, REALLY need to find a job. It's so exhausting. Just the thought of looking exhausts me.

I had a lot of great ideas for this post before I started writing it. Now, I can't remember them. Humph.

Prayers and thoughts for Shanon

2008-08-02T20:58:00.002-05:00

My friend Shanon got into a terrible car accident last night. She is eventually going to be fine, but she's had and is going to have a long, rough ride. She was driving home from work and got hit head on by a drunk driver. She had to be cut out from her car and was air-lifted to the hospital. She broke her femur in one leg and her ankle in the other leg. She had surgery last night (well, early this morning) and has another surgery on Monday. She'll be in the hospital for about a week and then I'm sure she'll have MANY weeks of therapy and recovery after that. If you guys could send her your prayers (or a card if you want, I can get you an address) I'd greatly appreciate it.

Shanon for when you read this:
Here's to a speedy recovery Shanon! I wish I could be there for you. Sending you much love and hugs. Let me know if you need anything.

Maybe you already know these things...

2008-07-26T19:02:00.003-05:00

1. Last Movie I Saw In A Movie Theater? Juno - I was still in Italy. I love that movie!

2. What Book Are You Reading? Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot and Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody

3. Favorite Board Game? Not board, but I enjoy most card games including Skip-Bo

4. Favorite Magazine? Cooking Light, Saveur, Gourmet, Gastronomie

5. Favorite Smells? Bil, Florence (even when it smells like pee), and garlic and onions sauteing

6. Favorite Sounds? Bil's voice, children's laughter

7. Worst Feeling In The World? hmmmm...

8. First Thing You Think of When You Wake? I wonder if I will hear about a job today?

9. Favorite Fast Food Place? Noodles and Company, Subway

10. Future Child's Name? No idea

11. Finish This Statement—If I Had a Lot of Money...I'd pay off my student loan, move back to Italy until Bil can come to the States, then move somewhere cool in the US, visit lots of people, and travel lots of places

12. Do You Drive Fast? Not really...I don't drive slow, but I'm not a speed demon

13. Do You Sleep With a Stuffed Animal? No, they bug the crap out of me

14. Storms—Cool or Scary? Scary, I hate thunderstorms. I try not to, but I do.

15. What Was Your First Car? Oldsmobile Calais 500

16. Favorite Drink? Water

17. Finish This Statement—If I Had the Time...I would cook and bake TONS of recipes

18. Do You Eat the Stems on Broccoli? Yes

19. If You could Dye your Hair Any Other Color, What Would It Be? I wouldn't

20. Name All the Different Cities In Which You Have Lived: Mankato MN, Sauk Rapids MN, St. Cloud MN, Moorhead MN, Fargo ND, Florence, Italy

21. Favorite Sport to Watch? None

22. One Nice Thing About The Person Who Sent This To You...I stole it from someone's food blog. And now I can't remember which one

23. What’s Under Your Bed? I don't have a bed

24. Would You Like to Be Born As Yourself Again? No, I think I'd like some new experiences. Preferably with a family that lives in Italy.

25. Morning Person or Night Owl? Both. I can be either, I'm pretty flexible.

26. Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? Either, they are almost the same. Sunny side up only if it's not runny in the whites

27. Favorite Place to Relax? At home...on the couch with either the tv or a book

28. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Haagen Daz - it's a kind of cone - chocolate dipped waffle cone

To camera or not to camera?

2008-07-22T13:20:00.002-05:00

My life is pretty boring lately, but I'm ok with that. I know I have exciting things to come and I just got back from 9 months of intense excitement. Actually, I have to stop saying I just got back because it was 2 months ago. Two months!! I can't believe it! I've been working at Barnes and Noble and frantically looking for jobs. It's exhausting.

I've been debating buying a new (and fancy) camera so that I can start taking pictures and practicing. Also, I want to build up my portfolio for potential jobs. My problem is money. I don't have any. And the camera alone is $800. Decisions, decisions.

I'll end with this. I can't remember where I found it because I saved it awhile ago along with a couple other things from the website.

Blahdeeblahblahblah

2008-07-16T11:14:00.003-05:00

I haven't been feeling very creative lately. I haven't felt like doing much of anything. I go to work at the bookstore. I apply for jobs. I waste time online. And that's about it. I did join the gym and am trying to go frequently just to give myself something to do and a healthy outlet for boredom.

My mood has been diminishing by the day and the last few days I've felt like poo, so that doesn't help. I've been sitting here at home today trying to decide if I should call in sick to work. I close tonight and I close tomorrow and I don't know if my body can handle it. Not to mention my throat. I have some weird cold thing (hopefully not strep because I don't have insurance). So, I'm thinking I'm going to call in sick today and then go in tomorrow. I think that sometimes you just need to take care of yourself. Even though I probably COULD go to work today, I don't want to make myself worse being as how I have to get through this on my own (without drugs).

I've discovered Google Reader. If you don't use it, you should. It's rocking awesome.

I was talking to this guy (this super dorky picture taken against his will while eating gelato by candlelight)

today and I asked him if he remembered when my birthday was. He didn't remember, so I told him that it is August 3rd. He said that he would start sending me kisses now since they take so long to get here. Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I MISS HIM!!!!

He's going to be in a mobie!

2008-07-07T22:07:00.002-05:00

Lately, I've just been trying to relax and take my time doing things. I have been looking for jobs (and looking and looking and looking and looking) and watching tv and quite a few movies. I've also been reading and just relaxing. Oh and I've become a guide for ChaCha.

Here are reviews of my latest rentals.
L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment)
I watched this movie today and really enjoyed it. French Xavier heads to Barcelona to study Economics to follow in his Dad's footsteps. He finds an apartment with a Spaniard, an Englishwoman, Italian, and a German and explores the city in his own way. It was so amazing seeing sights in Barcelona that I visited in January. I loved Barcelona. After Florence, it was my favorite European city. This movie really made me think about the real reasons that I spent those nine months in Florence.

Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp is a documentary about kids (young kids from 6-12) attending a (very) Christian summer camp in Devil's Lake, ND. It was frightening to me how these kids were "experiencing" God. It also makes me think about just how easily kids are swayed into believing the things their parents believe. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but I do believe that they deserve to learn about everything else around them. For these kids, Harry Potter was banned, most (shown in this film) were home schooled (which I don't see as wrong or bad, just can be isolating) and they had all been "saved." This film really made me think about the things I want to teach my kids and the things I want them to be exposed to. By default, my kids will be quite worldly since they will hopefully take yearly trips to visit their Dad's family in Tunisia. I want them to learn about the world by experiencing the world and being able to make their own choices.

I returned my movies today and rented Amelie (which I have already seen, but don't remember and am excited to watch again), Bread and Tulips, and l'enfant. The chick at the video store commented that I liked their foreign section. I told her that I just got back from Italy and needed some European culture and she replied that she just got back from the Caribbean so she understood. I'm quite sure she didn't.

All-Time Favorite Movies

2008-07-01T23:37:00.011-05:00

Barnes and Noble is having a sale where a bunch of movies and cds are $9.99. I decided to look through the racks to see if I could find anything worth buying and I think I found a couple of great treasures. And some of my absolute favorite movies ever.

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
This is one of my absolute favorite movies ever. It just puts me in a good mood. I know it's a kid's movie and I know it's unrealistic, but I just love Pippi's attitude. Two summers ago, my cousin Summer spent the night at my house and we watched this movie twice while she was there. She LOVED it. She talked about it and that she wanted it and all kinds of things. I gave it to her for her birthday and she freaked out. It was awesome. I already own this movie, so I didn't buy it today, but I just love it and had to mention it.

Real Genius
When I was in junior high I absolutely loved Val Kilmer. Loved. Looking back, it's very strange considering our large age gap. I loved Batman Forever, I loved this face, but most of all, I LOVED the movie Real Genius. I watched it on my VCR all the time. I've never seen it in DVD. Until today. I am so excited, you have no idea. If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights
This movie cracks me up. All the stupid jokes, all the singing, it all just makes a bad day go away. This was a stupid humor movie before they became really, really stupid (Dumb and Dumber for example). "We're men, we're men in tights, TIGHT tights!"

50 First Dates
By no means is this a classic movie, but the few times I've seen I have really enjoyed it. I picked it up because it was on sale and I was in the mood to watch it again. I know it's a movie that I can watch again and again and not get sick of. I think it's a good concept for a movie and there's some good comedic scenes in it.

Spaceballs
Oh, Spaceballs! I love this movie. It's along the same lines as Robin Hood: Men in Tights, but with a space theme. How I love this movie!

What are some of your all time favorite movies?

Remember Me? - Book Review

2008-07-01T20:11:00.001-05:00

Remember Me? is a very novel idea for a, well, novel. I was impressed with the creativity of the idea. Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed unable to remember the last three years of her life. As she tries to piece her life back together, she comes to some realizations about her life, her loves, and her friendships. This would be a great book to take on a weekend vacation or to the beach! It's a great, quick read. I'm giving the book to Dawn, so if you want to read it after she is done, let her know!

Movies, Books, and Jobs

2008-06-27T12:18:00.001-05:00

I saw the movie Juno when I was in Italy and I totally loved it. My Mom unexpectedly has the movie and I decided to watch it today while I was making some cookies. We haven't had TV service in over two weeks so I've been catching up on old TV shows and now I've moved on to movies. Anyway, I really like this movie. It has some of the best one-liners I've heard in a long time. A lot of people I know really love the soundtrack, but I hate it. It goes well with the movie, but separately, no thanks. Sarah, I'd add this to your Netflix list if you haven't seen it yet.

I just got done reading Moose by Stephanie Klein. It's a memoir about her fat childhood and her summers at fat camp. A coworker at Barnes and Noble with a similar taste in books to mine recommended it to me. I enjoyed the book most of the way through until the last chapter. I think it just could have ended with her childhood not an explanation of how she's doing now. She still struggles with her weight and tries to lose weight for all the wrong reasons. I just found it slightly depressing.

I've been at home over a month and I really still can't believe it. I'm looking for a job in the food industry in some way. If you come across anything, let me know. I have a good lead from Dawn, I just have to finish my resume and get a couple things in order before I'm able to explore it. I've been feeling rather blah lately and have been putting things off for no reason.

I haven't been talking to Bil that much since I got home which I expected, but it's a big change from seeing him everyday. I really can't wait to get him over here. The excitement about finding a new job has diminished since I figured out that we'll probably wait until October to apply for his visa. Plus, my sister is moving out, so I can move all my stuff from my storage into this apartment and live here for free for awhile longer. Realistically, that's not what I want, so I just need to get off my ass.

I want to start blogging more and am also looking at starting a food blog. I'm also trying to decide if I should buy a professional camera so that I can start practicing my photography skills. I don't have any experience, so I need to build up my portfolio so I have something to show prospective (is that the right word?) employers.

A coworker and I were talking about the movie Goonies the other day he said his favorite part of the movie was when Chunk did the "Truffle Shuffle." Truffle just doesn't sound right. It doesn't sound like the right word to me, but it is. If you haven't seen Goonies, I really don't know what's wrong with you. It's awesome.

One last note. I really miss this guy. A lot. A really lot.