My Weird Dream

Last night I had the most entertaining dream ever.

I was at a New Year's party in New York City, and the countdown to January 1, 2008 had just begun. I was actually with a boy and we were getting ready to kiss at the stroke of midnight. But as it went to "3...2...1..." things got really hazy and SUDDENLY I got spiraled/time warped back to 1008, instead of 2008.

I popped up in Middle Age England, luckily discovered by an aristocratic woman. I was cold and shivering in the brush (it was January in ENGLAND!) To make matters worse, I was still wearing my NYE outfit... a bright red sequinned mini-dress, over black tights and FMBs, with big hair and heavy dark eye make-up. The lady was speaking in some old English I guess, which of course I couldn't understand, and I was really worried she'd think I was some sort of witch and burn me at the stake. She took me to a castle and introduced me to her husband, some lord or king or whatever, who didn't look nearly as sympathetic as the woman did. Scaryyy.

I tried to explain who I was, and eventually had to draw a picture of England, the Atlantic, and North America... but then I remembered American hadn't QUITE been discovered yet. Crap.

I'll never know what happened. That phase of my dream ended with the utmost confusion and switched scenes to something entirely different... my birthday party. So I guess somehow, I made it back to 2008?

The Battle of the Sexes.... Part 1

One particularly slow day at work, my co-workers and I gathered in Meagan and Steve's office to shoot the breeze and generally goof off. We used the colorful markers to spice up their white board... a Winter Heat Countdown, snowflakes, Top Five Movies You'd Have to Have if Stranded on a Desert Island, etc etc.

But it was the Top Ten Albums You'd Have to Have if Stranded on a Desert Island list that really got interesting. Not because of the list itself, but because of the crazy chauvinistic comments that my male co-workers (sorry guys...I love you anyway!) made afterward. While reviewing a Rolling Stone magazine list of the top 500 greatest albums of all time, Steve noted that "when it comes to producing great music, the majority of good/memorable artists are male" and "of this list, I'd say less than 10% of the greatest albums are from female artists." The other guys nodded and threw in their own misguided observations about how women aren't up to par in musical talent.

Ummm... WHAT?! Meagan was too livid to comment. I just kept writing the lists on the white board and decided to save my soapbox rant for this blog post. :) So here goes.

FIRST off, if you are defining great music as rock/metal bands, then yeah, there aren't many female rockers. But that's an awfully narrow way to look at good music.

SECONDLY, it has only recently been appropriate for women to enter the entertainment industry. As in many other career fields, women are susceptible to the cultural pressure (or personal desire, of course), to fill stereotypically feminine roles--teacher, nurse, secretary. I can't see parents in the 1950s and 1960s allowing their daughters to grunge down their look and bang cymbals in the garage quite as readily as they would let their sons.

Not to mention, it's kind of hard to rock out when you have babies--unless you want the entire world to call you a bad mother. It's funny how lots of male rockers are fathers but no one questions their parenting ability, or chastises their lack of presence in the home. Women would not so easily get away with this.

THIRDLY, it is a sad shame that many talented female artists have to sexualize their image in order to sell and get noticed. It's true--sex sells--but the unfortunate consequence is that once they get there, they are no longer taken seriously as an artist, but viewed as a sex object instead. Christina Aguilera has a phenomenal voice, writes many of her songs, and is a great performer in general, and she has even managed to break away from the sexy teeny bopper image she once exemplified so strongly. It's too bad she will likely be more remembered as a pop tart rather than a powerful female musical artist.

FOURTHLY... I just checked, and the majority of the Rolling Stone staff is MALE. Men like to listen to rock. The whole magazine has more of a rock focus. Great music shouldn't be defined by genre, but how it reaches people, which can be evaluated based on sales and their influence on our culture (whether you like it or not.)

Maybe a less biased look would come from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) or Billboard.

And finally, the comments are just wrong for the long, top-selling, influential list of reasons below:

Celine Dion
Enya
Whitney Houston
Gloria Estefan
Cher
Barbara Streisand
Alanis Morrissette
Aretha Franklin
Carole King
Shania Twain
Stevie Nicks
Vanessa Carlton
Joan Jett
Paula Abdul
Mariah Carey
Pat Benetar
Sarah McLachlan
Janet Jackson
Jennifer Lopez
Mary J. Blige
Diana Ross
Janis Joplin
Alicia Keys
Madonna
Nelly Furtado
Amy Lee
Cyndi Lauper
Amy Winehouse
Tori Amos
Courtney Love
Billie Holiday
Gwen Stefani
Belinda Carlisle
Missy Elliot
Christina Aguilera
Sheryl Crow
Olivia Newton John
Rihanna
Dixie Chicks
Julie Andrews
Gladys Knight
Spice Girls
Tracy Chapman
TLC
Wilson Phillips
Kylie Minogue
Bangles
Ani Defranco
Ella Fitzgerald
Teagan & Sara
Blondie
Go-Go's
Mya
Marie Osmond
Dolly Parton
Britney Spears (like it or not)
Etta James
Charlotte Church
Joni Mitchell
Pink
Faith Hill
Wynonna Judd
Ciara
Shakira
Patti LaBelle
JoJo
Donna Summer
Leann Rimes
Reba MacIntire
Carrie Underwood
Kelly Clarkson
Fergie
Lily Allen
Toni Braxton
Lauryn Hill
Amy Grant
Bonnie Raitt
Norah Jones
Fiona Apple
Karen Carpenter
Ruth Brown
Tina Turner
Patti Smith
Annie Lennox
Bette Midler
Carly Simon
Melissa Etheridge
The Pointer Sisters
Erykah Badu
Indigo Girls
Liz Phair
Nico
Michelle Branch
Jewel
Grace Slick
Chaka Khan
Bjork
Judy Collins

& more can be found at 100 Greatest Female Artists & Greatest Female Artist Albums if you care to argue with me even more :P

My First New Year's Resolution

It's not necessarily how much I spend, but what I spend my money on. No matter how many times I say I will stop buying party clothes, or how badly I need grown-up, classy clothes, I ALWAYS end up buying yet one more party girl outfit that I DON'T need.

December is the month of parties... holiday parties, New Year's parties, birthday parties... So naturally, I used this as an excuse to buy a new outfit for each...and for one party, I couldn't make up my mind so I actually bought two. And with each new outfit comes new shoes and accessories. I'm not the only one who likes to avoid recycling old party wear. Because of course, we cannot be photographed in the same outfit twice! (Common exclamation in my particular social group:"What?! I can't wear THAT! It's been done! It is on Facebook!")

But now that we have actual bills to pay, and life is no longer a party... IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY?! Now I have almost no money for the normal clothes that I need hardcore.

So now I'm making my first New Years resolution: from now until summer, no more cheap slutty clothes! I may only purchase things that I can wear to work, out to dinner, shopping, etc. Things I can get a lot of wear out of! Things I can wear both professionally and socially. So bye-bye to the LVL X's and Wet Seals of the world. And HELLO to the Banana Republic's and Ann Taylor's!

*shudder*

Hold me to it ya'll!!!

"On this Winter's Night With You"

I was enjoying some quiet time tonight after a hot shower, laying beneath my newly decorated, fresh Christmas tree by my "fireplace" with Annie, listening to soft holiday music and soaking up the joy of the season. I was thinking how much I love Christmastime, what it means, being all serene and contemplative and such.  

Then a Sarah McLachlan Christmas song comes on and, looking at Annie, I immediately think of her ASPCA commercial, which is heartbreaking, and I worry about all the poor little animals out in shelters--or worse--with no one to love them. I squeeze Annie tighter, which only serves to annoy her. But she goes along with it so well, like the good kitty she is! :)

 And then I think of all the people out there who don't have anyone to love them. No quiet time. No Christmas trees. No pretty music. No serenity. So yeah... What started out as a nice night ultimately made me majorly depress myself. =P I'm leaving Sarah off the playlist next time. 

Monica comes to visit!

Saturday night was another fabulous girls' night out (despite a rocky yet amusing start) with Kat, my new friend Krista, and my Latina amiga Monica who drove herself up to NoVa like a big girl!

The girls

I turned in my trademark long fluffy sex hair for a new and trendy 'do a la Monica!

Role reversal! My new fave pic of me and Moni

Awww <3>

The last pic we took while we still looked cute...

Don't get jealous Wendi! We <3 you!!

Professional Popcorn Scooping

I didn't hear the whole report, but the radio show this morning was going over the the top ten worst jobs. Coming in at #2 was working at a movie theater! They said that working concession, box office, etc. just means long lines, cranky customers, weird hours, and barely minimum wage. The host even went so far as to say working at a movie theater = suicide. "Don't ever work at a movie theater!"

HAHA. Soooo been there. But I kind of hearted my professional popcorn scooping days...

Dog vs. Soulja Boy!

**Touchy material ahead**

Today I was listening to the Kane Morning Show on Hot 99.5, and I noted how the discussion of Dog the Bounty Hunter's despicable use of the N-word immediately followed the spinning of Soulja Boy's mega-hit "Crank Dat," which repeatedly refers to demeaning and explicit sexual acts against "ho's" in almost every line.

I have no idea who Dog the Bounty Hunter even is, except for the fact that he's an ignorant bigot who is getting a ton of well-deserved media backlash for his use of racial slurs.

But the situation also got me thinking about the blatant double standards we have in this country concerning derogatory language, and its varying levels of acceptance in our culture.

First off, if black people are going to take offense to the use of the N-word (as they should), they need to step up and be the first to STOP using it. They are the ones re-introducing it into our pop culture, and it's not okay. (And I'm not just saying that because I'm a white girl who can't sing along to the offensive lyrics, while my black counterparts can.) It's a derogatory term and no one, regardless of race, should say it.

Second, I am bothered by the fact that the only derogatory terms we vilify are racial in nature. It is a huge problem that gender/sexual slurs--b*tch, ho, slut, etc--are becoming increasingly mainstream, and that they are not such a big deal to people...but the N word still is. I hear them on daytime TV. In music. My friends use them. I use them. And no matter how we slice it, these terms are degrading, and only succeed in perpetuating the negative stereotypes our society unfortunately already has...of women, of blacks, of homosexuals, of boys with popped collars or girls with blonde hair, you name it!

I am aware of the argument that states that terms of hate and derision could be manipulated to become terms of empowerment (I read an article recently on how some feminist groups wish to make c**t a term of empowerment for women.) They say that after all, it is society that gives meaning to a word, so let's take a stand--as a society--and change the meaning of it! Maybe they are right, and everyone should just be less touchy. They are just words, right?

But this would take generations to take hold, IF enough people chose to change their view in the first place. And it needs to include ALL slurs, not just one. If it's not okay for an individual to reference a black person as "that n****", then it shouldn't be okay to reference that woman as "that ho." [Weird that I have to bleep out one, but not the other.]

Furthermore, even if black people are trying to use the N-word amongst each other as a term of brotherhood, they need to be open to the fact that white/Hispanic/Asian people are probably going to pick up on it too, especially the young ones. And with the way pop media is these days, their use of the term may legitimately not be intended as racist. I can see white kids getting slammed for greeting their black friends with the N-word, and then going to their parents, asking what they did wrong. How are we going to explain it to them--that some kids can say that, but others can't, depending on the color of your skin? What kind of message is that? A divisive and racist one, if you ask me.

So, slurs either need to become acceptable across the board, or not at all. And given the history of these terms, I would vote for not at all.

FAIL!

My beautiful red Acura just failed its safety inspection. It has a big, ugly sticker on it that says REJECTION. I am so sad. :(

W&M Homecoming

When I graduated W&M, I couldn't have been more ready. I needed a change of scenery, and I was certainly sick of school in general. No more tests! No more papers! A PAYCHECK!!! Don't get me wrong, I had a phenomenal four years in the 'burg, but it was definitely time to go. I loaded my car, took one last look around, cried for ten minutes as I took a minute to think about all the great memories I'd made and lessons I'd learned, then sped off to NoVa, without looking back. I didn't think about it again, and looked forward to my next big adventure. The whole summer, I didn't miss it.

But once fall came around, and everyone else started to head back to school, the nostalgia REALLY began to set in. The reality of the post-graduate world wasn't as glamorous and charmed as I had hoped (at least not in full). It hit that I actually would never be a college student again, and that made me very sad. So, Homecoming weekend provided the perfect opportunity to go back and re-live some of the best days of my life, with some of the coolest people ever! And better yet, I got to re-live it WITHOUT the tests and the papers!

I drove down to Williamsburg with Alisa, and we checked into a hotel room at the Days Inn. It was a whopping $259 for two nights, but it was a better alternative than our original plan, which was to stay with Orange Fanta Liz, who contracted the MRSA staph infection the day before (she is okay now!!) It felt so good to be back! Even the rain made me nostalgic.

We spent that night at the good ol' Ho House, where we sang some karaoke ("I Love Rock n' Roll"!) and danced the night away with some of my faves--Wendi, Rex, Margarita, Hillary, Monica, Amanda, Alisa! I even managed to get a few free drinks out of the deal... YAY for working there and knowing the staff! Afterwards, we went for a traditional Wawa run (mmmm chicken salad subs w/ extra oregano!) and then chilled with some boys at the King & Queens apartments, where a window broke over our heads. Good times.

I spent Saturday tailgating on campus, where I ran into Cory, Ashley, my old track team roommates, and a gazillion frat boys and sorority girls. A Capella was a huge part of my time at W&M, so I stopped by the Stairwells concert in the Wren Chapel, and the Intonations concert at the Crim Dell amphitheater. Then I had a delicious dinner at Aromas with Hillary & co., where I OD'ed on a scrumptious caramel Aromachino. Totally worth it though! Hillary comforted me at the Inn while I curled in a ball and tried to digest that thing, all the while reminiscing about our (my) sketchy days as W&M party girls (I STILL can't drink tequila...or peppermint patty shots. They are synonymous with next-morning mortification.) After my recovery, I went out for round 2, and re-visited the Griff and frat row... throwbacks to sophomore year.





Sunday I had to deal with my flat tire before heading back to the real world. It sucked. I got it towed to Walmart and spent $118 on a new tire. Turns out, everyone has a spare in their trunk! Who knew?! Does anyone have a "Cars for Dummies" that I can borrow??

Unexpectedly expensive weekend... but a fabulous one. There were still a lot of people I didn't get to see, and places I didn't get to visit, but that is extra incentive to visit again. I MISS YOU W&M!!!!!

BLACKOUT

In case anyone was wondering, Britney's new album is PHENOMENAL! That is, if you like synthesized beats and a considerable amount of computerized vocals. Which, obviously I do...

I can't stop listening to it! :)

The most wonderful time of the year... already?!

So the malls have Christmas stuff already... and I love Christmas as much as anyone... but COME ON!!!! Unacceptable! They do this every year. Christmas is far too special to have 2 months out of the year.

...It really should be illegal to start Christmas time before Thanksgiving...

See, I like dogs too! :)

In honor of my Lacey coming to stay with me for a week... This is precious:

A Dog's Purpose

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Be always grateful for each new day.

Fall is Here

This past weekend, I took some time off from the party thing (haha) to enjoy some quality autumn time with my sister & co. I'm not a HUGE fall/winter kinda person but I love the holidays more than anything! Halloween and Christmas are my two favorite holidays ever, and I'm so in the spirit!!! New Years makes for a close third favorite, though I've never done much for it. But after that... it's all down hill until spring.

So I started off the season at Pumpkinville in Leesburg, where we looked at pumpkins (obvi), drank cider, pet baby goats, ate popcorn and fresh apples, played in haystacks, and enjoyed the beautiful, crisp weather! And took lots of pictures, of course...






Yayyyyyyy Halloweeen!!!!!

I make a difference! Or something like that...

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is all fine and dandy, but it means LOTS of donation requests. I'm normally good at avoiding those pesky salespeople who won't give me my purchase until they've given their schpiel: "Would you please donate $5 to help underprivileged/chronically ill/orphaned children today? Your donation could save a life!" I feel a slight twinge of guilt, but convince myself that the majority of my $5 will go to the company, not the poor orphan. I smile and say "Not today, thanks!" as graciously as possible, and then make my exit.

But, a couple of weeks ago, I gave my $5 to Macy's, in the hope of finding the cure for breast cancer. It wasn't because I'm generous and philanthropic, though. It was because Macy's promised me a $10 off coupon for my next purchase of $35 or more plus a 20% discount on some other purchase. I tilted my head and thought for a second, then said "Sure, I'd love to donate $5 to breast cancer research!"

So there I was, feeling all good about myself, when I realized that I only gave because they gave me something in return. What kind of charity is that?! What kind of a horrible person am I?! Sadness... I suck!!!!

For the rest of the month, I have been giving to breast cancer every time they ask. AND I haven't been getting anything in return! Well, except for that box of chocolate cookies with the pink ribbon from Safeway...

But for reals people, here's a way to help in the fight against cancer/poverty/the Amazon/puppies/You-name-it without spending a penny! Hooray!!! :)

thebreastcancersite.com
thehungersite.com
thechildhealthsite.com
theanimalrescuesite.com
theliteracysite.com
therainforestsite.com

You're nobody... until you're talked about.

It's a little sad how obsessed I am with the CW's latest guilty pleasure, "Gossip Girl," which is basically about f*cked up rich beautiful people. It's probably even sadder that Wendi and I have a running commentary on AIM while we're watching it. But it makes Wednesday nights so much more exciting!

BTW, Dan Humphrey = my future husband.

It's Britney, bitch!

New Britney song a "smash" hit!

NEW YORK (AP) -- Britney Spears is finally catching a break.

Britney Spears' new song, "Gimme More," is at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100, the nation's primary pop chart.

Her new song, "Gimme More," is now a success on the music charts -- despite the pop star's turbulent personal life and the humiliation of her much-panned performance at MTV's Video Music Awards.

This week, "Gimme More" -- released to radio stations in August -- topped Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart at No. 1 with 179,000 downloads, and jumped from No. 68 to No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100.

The song is the first single from her new album, set for release November 13.

Hooray!!! Britney, come back!!! I miss you!!! =)

Paris Hilton isn't SO dumb...

I posted this on Myspace a while ago, but I think it deserves a spot here too. Some real pearls of wisdom! ;) Gotta love Paris Hilton!


On illusion:

~Act ditzy. Lose things. It throws people off and makes them think you're "adorable," and less together than you really are.

On your wardrobe:

~If you're happy, wear pink. If you're depressed, wear black.

On proper sleep habits:

~Never, ever wake up before ten; never go to bed before three. Normal hours are for normal people. You never want to be normal. Anyone can be normal. How boring. I'm yawning.

On healthy eating:

~Never go on the Atkins diet. Or the South Beach Diet. Even if you are in South Beach. Especially if you are in South Beach. If you are in South Beach, eat more.

On fear:

~Fear nothing...except insects.

On your image:

~There's a big difference between being fun and provocative and being totally over-the-top and gross. Know how to tread that fine line...in stilettos.

On sin & happiness:

~Eat as much chocolate as you can. Chocolate seems sinful, and therefore makes you happy.

On making sure people notice you:

~The way I keep people wondering about me is to smile all the time and say as little as possible. Smile beautifully, smile big, smile confidently, and everyone thinks you've got all kinds of secret things going on. And that keeps them wanting more. And when they want more, you are automatically interesting.

aaaaaand Life's Ultimate Advice:

~If all else fails, act bored. Not boring. There's a huge difference...

Let's laser some corneas!

*Addendum to previous post*

I had an eye doctor's appointment the other day, and it was a truly enlightening experience. I've been to the eye doctor yearly since I was like, 8, but for some reason, this visit really intrigued me...

...which brought me to my latest whim: OPTOMETRY!!!

The doctor told me that the little black specks I sometimes see in my peripheral vision are little bits of eye jelly, and if I see too many of them too often, it means my retina is detaching! FASCINATING. And here I thought all along that I was just hallucinating. I'M HOOKED!

Talk about a cool job. You don't have to sit at a desk all day. And you get to meet all sorts of people...and give them the gift of vision! How noble! And how cool would it be to laser someone's cornea?! Plus, eyes are pretty.

One downside: ophthalmology = med school = $$$ = majorly hard work = UGH. But to laser corneas... maybe it's worth it?! Or maybe I'll just settle for optometry. Decisions, decisions...

Career Woes

There seems to be a sense of job discontent in the air. I always said I wanted a job I was excited to wake up for every morning, but it seems like all I can do every day is sit on g-chat and complain with my friends about how bored we are. Don't get me wrong--we are all very gainfully employed and we appreciate the pay check! But we often wonder if *insert respective career field here* is really what we want to pursue for the rest of our lives.

This is especially important to me because--let's be honest here--the trophy wife option is an increasingly distant possibility, due to my stubborn resistance to falling in love...HA. So, I need to find something that will motivate me and excite me. Like politics, entertainment/fashion, talking, being on camera, and interacting with people!

Here are some ideas I've been mulling about for some time, and the *dream positions* within each field that I fantasize about :)

~ Broadcast journalism

*Anchor or correspondent for a major news network. Enough with the grumpy old men telling us what's going on in the world!
*Correspondent or host for E! Entertainment. Guiliana's going down!
*The next Kelly Ripa
*White House Press Secretary

~ Public Relations/Affairs
*Either in politics, fashion, or entertainment. Ideally, something controversial ;)

~ Government
*Foreign policy... National Security Advisor! (Watch out!!!)
*Intelligence analyst
*Emergency response

~ Magazine Editor/Contributor
*Washingtonian. Allure. Newsweek. National Geographic!

~ Event Planner
*Samantha on Sex and the City (isn't that what she does?)
*Event photographer!

And of course, there's always the running away to LA and become an A-list movie star option. Thoughts???

Should I get this tattoo?

Just a rough sketch, of course. :) Thanks Ali!

Food for Thought

"One's life, viewed as a whole, is always the answer to the most important questions. Along the way, does it matter what one says, what words and principles one chooses to justify oneself? At the very end, one's answers to the questions the world has posted...are to be found in the facts of one's life.

Who are you? What did you actually want? What could you actually achieve? At what points were you loyal or disloyal or brave or a coward? And one answers as best one can...but that's not so important. What's important is that finally one answers with one's life."

~Embers, Sandor Marai

Cats > Dogs

It's no secret that I am a feline enthusiast. I actually love all animals (well, all of the cute fuzzy ones), but I've always had a particular affinity for cats. And there is NOTHING in the world more precious than a kitten. Sometimes I worry that my interest in cats borders on obsession. But I never worry for long =)
I think this is because I want to be like a cat, which is funny, because I've always had more of a puppy personality. Dogs need constant attention, lots of food, and they make you clean up the sh*t they leave exposed all over your back yard. Dogs whine. They yap. They cling. They drool. They GROVEL. You have to wake up at 6 in the morning to let them out.

CATS, on the other hand, don't really need anybody. They give affection on their own terms, on their own time. Cats are independent and clever, and they keep themselves clean and pretty. They never over-do anything, and when they get sleepy, they simply curl up in one of the cozy spots they've sealed off for themselves, and snooze in sunbeams for hours on end. Conversely, a cat is adventurous and loves to explore. It can entertain itself indefinitely, finding amusement out of the simplest of pleasures... like a grape, for instance. Or maybe even a pencil.



Additionally, cats are beautiful and they know it. No games. No pretending. No groveling. They don't care what anyone else thinks and express their emotions as they wish. They can purr, but they know when to bring out the claws..no one can mess with a kitty! Cats confidently mind their own business and don't go around sniffing anyone else's behind. Plus, their affection is equally sincere as any dog's... minus the drool. And you can cuddle with them and not smell bad afterwards. YAY!

As Mark Twain said: "Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat." And we all know Mark Twain was a pretty smart dude. =)

More cat quotes and pictures of my current kitty [and BFF] Annie!

"If animals could speak the dog would be a a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much."
- Mark Twain

"Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you."
- Mary Bly

"I simply can't resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know."
- Abroad with Mark Twain and Eugene Field, Fisher

"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. "
- Jeff Valdez

"The smallest feline is a masterpiece."
- Leonardo da Vinci

"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats."
- Colonial American Proverb (I must be SO lucky!!!)

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."
- Unknown

"The cat has too much spirit to have no heart."
- Ernest Menaul

"There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat."
- Tay Hohoff

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
- Winston Churchill (HAHA)

Circadian rhythms

You know that time of day when you just kinda lose it? When you can't focus, can't think straight... You can't even keep your eyes open and all you seem capable of is curling up in a ball and passing out? Well, those are called circadian rhythms, and they vary from person to person and somehow relate to the earth's rotations (so I've heard.. I'm not TOTALLY making this up!) Well, it's a little past 2:30 and they've hit... hardcore... zzzzzzz.


Too bad I'm at work =(

Sketchmaster2000

It's official. If there is a predatorial sketchball out there, he will find me. It doesn't matter where I'm at or what I'm wearing or how I'm acting...I simply cannot attract normal people, whether in clubs, in bars, in the library... and apparently, even at church:

"Hey there. Just wanted you to know that I got you on Myspace--I saw that you accepted me as a friend---HOWEVER:-) I had to delete you before my wife saw it:-) HOLY $#!@%!!!! She would have wigged out if she saw you on there. My wife is super-protective. She would have seen how sexy you look and that would be it---fight, fight, fight between her and I. Not sure if you understand or not--I don't expect you to, necessarily. We can chat about it sometime---privately:-). Until then, I think your pix are very sexy and well....I will keep my mouth shut:-) before I get in trouble. Don't reply to my work email with any of this conversation---K? Just this one.
Talk to you soon,
****"

Yep... that's my pastor. A man of God. I guess I need to keep church shopping... =(

I am not a ho!

When I was in high school, I had no style. Well, I actually did have style, but it was BAD style, and I was incredibly awkward-looking to boot. I would show you a picture, but I don't have any on my computer, so you'll just have to use your imagination. But trust me, it was bad. Picture if you will: waist-high, baggy jeans; full coverage turtlenecks; braces; huge glasses; mousy, plain, dirty blonde hair; ghostly pale skin... oh yeahh, I was the wholeee package. I was also the good Christian girl, who thought parties were bad, drinking the dumbest thing ever, and any dancing other than ballet completely impure. While people weren't blatantly mean, I was picked on a good bit, and I certainly wasn't included in any particular social group. But I was fine being a floater. At least, for a while.

WELLLL... things change. I made it to senior year and decided my old look wasn't winning me any points. Even the pastor's kids looked cooler than I did. So I highlighted my hair, got contacts, joined the hip-hop dance team, discovered Mystic Tan, and gradually started to vamp up my wardrobe. This process continued and increased in extremity over the course of my college years.

I'm sure I over-compensated, but I had (and am having) the best time EVER with my sexy girls' nights out! But oddly enough, I now get picked on for being "slutty" more than I ever did for being dorky. Well, maybe not moreso, but it's weirder because I am the direct opposite of slutty... I am SUCH a prude...and definitely a dork. And there is way more to me then what shows up on Friday nights. I'm a good girl. My friends know this about me. And really, their opinions are the only ones that matter. However, even friends have, at times, been misled by the party image I have adopted of late, drawing conclusions that are simply inaccurate.

I get a lot of slack for wearing outfits like this:


And for making a spectacle out of myself like this:


And for posing with my sexy friends like this:



And people ask me, "Why do you do that?"

And I would always think hard about this, and try to come up with all these psychoanalytical explanations, and get all defensive--"It's not that bad, I'm not actually DOING anything slutty", or "Oh I sorta like the attention, this is my way of expressing myself", or "I'm insecure and this is how I feel more accepted and noticed," or "I'm a dancer and a performer and that's why I do it!" or "Even when I was little I liked to sing and dance and play dress-up!" blah blah blah... But then I got to thinking... why do I owe you an explanation? Why are you giving me such a hard time? Who cares?! Bottom line: my [highly moral & wonderfully classy] friends and I dress up and dance like crazy for one simple reason: it's fun. We're not doing anything wrong and certainly not hurting anybody. This is just our way [one way] of having fun. So leave us alone!

And believe it or not... I still have my dork wardrobe and wear it on a regular basis! Yay CAT SWEATER!

Zodiacs are stupid

I really hate the fact that I am the Year of the Rat. How does that make any sense whatsoever?! Why can't I be Year of the Kitten? Or even Year of the Butterfly? =(

'Sup!

Since Wendi and Kat have blogs, and since I always do everything the cool kids are doing (drugs are awesome!!!!), I have a blog now too. This is where you can learn alllll about moi, a.k.a. the Pink Piglette.

I am the Pink Piglette for a number of reasons.

One, I am a glutton.

Two, pink is my favorite color. [Except not really. Secretly, it's red. I was peer pressured into preferring pink when I was 7 years old and at Sunday School. All the other little girls liked pink so I wasn't about to have my feminimity called into question in front of all the cute little Christian boys. True story.]

Three, I'm a piglETTE because I am a girl, and I didn't want to create any confusion. [Except not really. I'm PiglETTE because someone else already took PiglET. How bitchy!]

Four, I'm a piglette instead of a pig because, despite being a glutton, I am little. And -ette means "little" in French.

TOODLES!

p.s. I was totally kidding about the drugs. TRUE STORY!