visiting the alpacas

obviously, no trip involving any member of my family (yes, including me) is complete without at least one trip to visit some kind of animal. this trip, we went to an alpaca farm (just like the ones on dirty jobs a couple weeks ago!)
what are alpacas, you ask? alpacas are a domesticated south american (from peru, bolivia and chile) hooved mammal having long, silky fleece, related to the llama and believed to be a variety of the guanaco.

this is the alpaca farm that was kind enough to let a bunch of strangers roam around for a while. visit them on their website, www.epfalpacas.com

vacation?

man, i need a vacation from my vacation. here's a recap:

tuesday - flew from virginia to indianapolis, drove 3 hours to decatur. ate at steak'n'shake for lunch, el rodeo for dinner.

wednesday - drove to mattoon, checked out some things for that pesky job, drove back to decatur. ate at monicals after a brief cry that the mongolian garden has gone the way of the dinosaur.

thursday - hung out with the parental units, drove to mattoon, ate at little mexico, went to a meeting, drove back to decatur (nearly ran a horse and buggy off the road), hung out at albright's bar (block's) with mandi and ed.

friday - ate lunch at steak'n'shake, went to my aunt's in bethany, went to torment my baby sister at her place of employment (texas roadhouse for all those who would also enjoy tormenting said baby sister).

saturday - ate lunch at o'charley's with jamie, ryan and austin. jamie is about to pop, she's due december first. played frisbee with my parents (yes, i know) then went to dinner with a different aunt at the international buffet.

sunday - went to my cousin's in cambridge. ate chili at her house, went to see some alpacas, then drove back to decatur and ate at la fontina or something or other.

monday - went to my uncle's fish farm, ate at ruby tuesday's, drove to indianapolis to catch a plane that never left. went to a hotel in indy.

tuesday - (i'm supposed to be home by now) went back to the airport, caught a plane that did leave, went home.

whew. i'm exhausted. and i think i gained at least ten pounds. i think all that we did was eat. who knew there were so many mexican restaurants in illinois???

holy praying mantis, batman!

woke up the other morning, and this was on my wall. outside, that is.

guys don't make passes at girls with glasses

ta da! the long awaited, brand new, much anticipated coach annabels have finally arrived!

check out my dragonflies! that was the major selling point for me. sooo cute! maybe i'll actually wear them out - i usually wear contacts.

drool on my shoe

prison break was all new last night. which meant i got to spend a whole hour... watching.
it's one of los's fave shows too, but he actually follows the plot line. now i just have to wait for lost, then my world will be complete.

it's always sunny in philadelphia

we spent the better part of the weekend visiting some friends in philly. hit the nats phillies game, a little bar, and just generally had a grand old time.

Check out the house swing!

trip to d-town

baby, i'm comin' home. no really. i am!
august 29 to september 4, i will be visiting and los will be, well, counting stoplights and asking if adm always smells this bad.
see you there!

update on the bathroom war

for those of you who haven't been to our place in awhile, you may not know about our Bathroom War.
our bigger bathroom (in the hall, not off of the master bedroom) is, well, old and honestly kinda ugly. this is the bathroom that guests use, and is my bathroom.
above the bathtub was a beige colored plastic lining thing. ask anyone who has had to clean said plastic wall covering, it's a royal pain. the floor tile is okay, but not particularly my taste, and whoever did the floor tile didn't really know what they were doing. the vanity is old. and for some reason when i specified what color i wanted Los to paint the bathroom before we moved in, it translated to 'sad, sterile gray' in his brain.
fast forward to last march, early in the month. Los comes home, all excited because he has come upon this very pretty tile (pale blue, glass) and wants to use it in the shower. okay, i'm all for it. he proceeds to rip out the nasty plastic wall protector, and the nasty walls behind it (didn't protect very well).
and left it.
like that.
for months.
until (angels singing in the background) wednesday. i come home from work, and find -ahhh!- progress!!! the tiles have been set into one wall of the shower.

disgusted and appalled

did you know that the most effective way to fight rabies is to gather up all dogs within the county of the person who was infected with (and died from) rabies and beat them to death? silly me, i thought that was why rabies vaccinations were so popular.

apparently, in china, they have not heard of vaccinations. twice now, chinese officials have ordered mass culls of dogs in the surrounding areas of rabies outbreaks. obviously they are not aware that other animals also spread the disease, or there would be no animals of any kind in those counties presently. these were not only stray dogs, either. ALL DOGS.

dogs were taken from their homes after searching, taken from owners walking them on leashes, owners were told that if they did not do the deed themselves, officials would come and do it for them. there was no euthanasia, no humane exit from this world. they were brutally, cruelly beaten.

these articles need to be read. people need to be made aware, and people need to step up and take a stand.

BBC NEWS
CNN NEWS
YAHOO NEWS

DO SOMETHING.

SIGN A PETITION

WRITE A LETTER.

Chinese Embassy
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 328-2500/01/02

it only takes one person to make some noise.

a moment of silence

for reasons unknown, God has chosen to take a shining star from here on earth and give her a proper place in heaven.
we remember you with joy, smiles and laughter, just like you would have wanted.

the time you had too much wine at thanksgiving and got the giggles,
how you love flowers, plants and your cats (even though you feed them too much),
you dancing up a storm, even in a conga line, at our wedding,
the pure, unadulterated joy when you look at your grandson,
how you only want happiness for those you love, regardless of what that entails,
the pride so easily read in your face at your son's graduation.

there is a magnet on your refridgerator:
live well
laugh much
love often

we will always miss you.
we will always love you.

i hate tourists.

if you are visiting my part of the country, please keep in mind that i have a normal life to live, which includes getting places, including work, on time.

please:

• do not walk down the sidewalk five people abreast, then look at me like i shouldn't be coming from the opposite direction. normal people leave enough space on the sidewalk for other people.
• do not walk slow, or stop completely, in the middle of the sidewalk, where you and your whole family are taking up the entire sidewalk. i do not want to get hit by a maniac taxi while attempting to get around you.
• yes, i know the speed limit sign on route 66 says 55. but they meant 85. and on i495, they meant 95.
• if you decide to drive slower than the speed of traffic, drive in the right lane. the left lane is very dangerous for you, considering that if you are rear-ended you will cause a ten car accident that will take days to clear up. and it will be all your fault.
• if you cannot drive in precipitation (such as rain), reflecting sunshine, or other weather hazards that are apparently unique to the dc metro area, take a taxi.
• no, i do not know where the duck tour starts. i live here. i don't take tours.
• iwo jima is in virginia. so are the national airport, dulles airport, the manassas battlefield, the jefferson memorial, and arlington cemetery.
• when attempting to ride the metro, do not stop for a chitchat at the bottom of the escalator. there are people behind you! do not talk to the locals. they are on their way to or home from work, and do not care about your vacation. and if you're on the metro when i'm on my way to work, the museums are closed.
• FOR GOD'S SAKE, WHEN ON ANY ESCALATOR, YOU WALK ON THE LEFT, STAND ON THE RIGHT.

10 things to buy on the internet

1- the cutest shoes ever - http://www.zappos.com

2- used textbooks for school - http://www.amazon.com

3- face wash they don't sell at Target anymore - http://store.colorandflavorshop.com

4- picture books, just for you - http://www.shutterfly.com

5- candles and votive holders - http://www.cudge.net

6- groceries (who has the time?) - http://www.peapod.com

7- clothes on sale - http://www.alloy.com

8- music - http://www.apple.com/itunes

9- somebody to go to the DMV for you - http://usvrs.com/

10- IT - www.ebay.com

new playlist on the ipod

look at me, educating the masses on popular music.

1- walking dead ~z-trip, featuring chester benningfield (from linkin park)
2- move along ~all american rejects
3- i bet you look good on the dancefloor ~arctic monkeys
4- chocolate ~snow patrol
5- under pressure ~the muse and my chemical romance
6- i turn my camera on ~spoon
7- like eating glass ~bloc party
8- soul meets body ~death cab for cutie
9- evil ~interpol
10- jerk it out ~caesars
11- daft punk is playing at my house ~lcd soundsystem
12- finding out true love is blind ~louis xiv
13- nth degree ~morningwood
14- control ~mute math
15- steady as she goes ~raconteurs
16- so jealous ~tegan and sara
17- the rat ~walkmen
18- hate me ~blue october

take a listen: http://www.vh1.com/artists/

birthdays in june and july

thank god i didn't have to buy all ya'll presents.

laura turned 24 again.

dave turned 30 again.

ben turned 30 for the first time.

mike turned 30 for the first time.

chris-ann turned 30 for the first time.

man, all my friends are old.

soccer in mike n maria's yard.

we've gotten pretty good at flip-cup.

i don't know these people. i swear.

ten things everyone should have

ten: two good coffeepots, one at home, one at work

nine: comfort food in the kitchen, ready for whenever you need it

eight: a savings accout, a retirement plan, a credit card, and enough willpower to use it only for emergencies

seven: a fabulous accessory that makes a nice outfit dressy

six: a fabulous accessory that makes a nice outfit a costume

five: a piece of your childhood

four: a car that you drive because it's fun, not for transportation

three: a collection that serves no purpose, holds no value, and is comprised only of things that bring you joy, for no particular reason, that you don't have to explain to anyone

two: a favorite book, dog-eared and love-worn from how many times you've read it

one: a best friend who loves you unconditionally, listens to you with rapt attention even when you're a raving lunatic, comforts you when you're upset, never lies, knows how to keep a secret, never judges you, and always takes your side in an arguement

Blood and Tickets

I try to donate blood as much as I can. For some reason, they usually give you something (I do it for the cookies) - I've gotten a bracelet, several t-shirts large enough to house a family of four, and a random assortment of things that I don't really know what to do with.
But the last time I gave blood (last Friday), I got 2 movie tickets. Score! I thought... finally! something that I will use!
Problem is, the tickets are only for movies that have been in the theater for over two weeks. Now, if a movie is good enough to have been in the theater for over two weeks, and I haven't seen it by then, it's probably because I'm not particularly interested in seeing that movie.
Although, my normal excuse is, "I'm not paying $10 to see that. I'll get it for free on-demand in a few months."
So maybe I will use the tickets. They are free, after all.

Our latest movie adventures: (pics from imdb.com)

The DaVinci Code: Read the book. It's much better. Although I have to say that if the movie stayed true to the book, it would be about ten hours long. And nobody's sitting through that.

Superman Returns: I liked it. I mean, I was never much of a Superman person. The X-Men and Batman are SO much cooler. The power went off in the theater for about ten minutes half an hour in, but they got the generator figured out and we got to see the whole thing. For explanations of power outages, see previous posts about rain and homicidal trees.

Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest: Not as good as the first one, and I think the whole purpose of the second movie was to set the stage for the third movie. But Orlando Bloom is pretty, Johnny Depp is funny and creative. What else does a movie need? Oh, and we went to see it because we didn't have power at home, and Los gets cranky without air conditioning.

Hell Month

I've got a couple of classes to finish up before I start on my master's in the fall. Problem is, summer courses are so damn intense. For the next four weeks, I will have class all night Monday through Saturday. (Saturday!!! I must be a masochist.)
So, please understand that I'm not ignoring anyone, ya'll are still my friends. And I will read all of your forwards and reply to your witty e-mails when I am again able to obtain 6 hours of sleep a night.
And I'll return all of your phone calls from the car on my way to class.

The Best of International Soccer

So I've abandoned the World Cup. After watching match after match of horrible reffing, with the team the ref wanted to win winning, the whole thing just turned my stomach. Fair, my ass.

So here's my own little score board. All pics are from www.fifaworldcup.com.

Best of the US:
Brian McBride, forward, #20.
Plays for England's Manchester United.

Best Bald Guy:
Zinedine Zidane, France, midfielder, #10.
Plays for Spain's Real Madrid.

Most Envied Water Bottle:
Michael Ballack, Germany, midfielder, #13.
Plays for Germany's Bayern Munich.

Most Overrated Player:
David Beckham, England, Midfielder, #7.
Plays for Spain's Real Madrid.


Best Man-Stubble:
Ricardo Cabanas, Switzerland, Midfielder, #7.
Plays for Germany's FC Cologne.


Best Press Shot:
Luis Garcia, Spain, forward, #11.
Plays for England's Liverpool.


Best of the Barely Legal (you can't buy him a beer):
Lionel Messi, Argentina, forward, #19.
Plays for Spain's Barcelona.
Just turned 19.


Best of the Barely Legal (but you can buy him a beer):
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, forward, #17.
Plays for England's Manchester United.
Just turned 21.

Best Six-Pack on Display:

Although they probably all have one, they're not showin' 'em. :(
Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo, forward, #4.
Plays for England's Arsenal.

Most Interesting Tattoo:

Djibril Cisse, France.

Power-Less 4th of July

As a result of a short, but apparently very windy, thunderstorm, a lot of damage was done to NoVa. We were sitting an hour into Superman Returns when the power in the movie theater went out. Not so bad, after about 10 minutes it came back on and we got to finish it. But when we got home, there was no power.
Luckily, it came back on around 10:30, so the humidity that didn't factor into the thoughts of DC's forefathers when they decided to build a city on a swamp didn't kill us.

Casualties:
-Lots of downed trees. Many blocking streets, taking down power/telephone lines.
-A lot of Ffx County hasn't had power restored. Honestly, some people's power still hasn't been restored from the storm we weathered three days ago.

And the kicker:


Yes, that's my car. And yes, that's a fallen tree about 3 feet away from it. Talk about a Guardian Angel. Whew.




A closer look at the tree that tried to eat my car.

Strange Ailments of the Midtolate-Twenties

At least once a year I am befallen by some strange ailment.

2001- Kidney infection that landed me in the hospital. I would have thought I'd get liver or lung problems before the kidney. And what does a kidney really do, anyhow? Create bile? Who needs that?

2002- Flu. I know this isn't all that abnormal, but it is when you can't hold food down for over a week. Yes, slightly dehydrated.

2003- Fainted due to sunstroke. In the middle of a bar, in the center of all my friends, at the beach. I hadn't even drank anything yet. Just -boom- on the floor, with a healthy crack to the head. They even called an ambulance. On a side note- the paramedic was trying to see if I knew who/where/what I was, and I kept insisting I was 21 (he was looking at my driver's license) and that I was old enough to be in the bar. And of course he was looking at me like I had amnesia, I was 24.

2004- Spider bite on my eyelid. Walked around looking like I'd gotten in a fight for about a week. Not cool.

2005- Broke my foot after tripping down a step and a 2 inch tall welcome mat. Sam Adams pushed me. Went dancing immediately afterwards, then walked around the entire next day telling people I wasn't really hurt, I just needed to walk it off. Got the cast removed just in time for the wedding.

2006- My wisdom tooth decided to suddenly make an appearance. I'm 27, for god's sake. Aren't you supposed to get these in high school??? So half of my face is swollen, it hurts like anything, and I'm not sleeping very well. The best thing that seems to make the pain go away is -get this- Altoids. Man, they really missed a marketing opportunity with this one. Maybe I should write them a letter.

Yay me.