CHICAGO- the musical!

Ever heard of a tone deaf chick that can't get enough musicals? Well, that is me...totally tone deaf, but love musicals. I have seen quite a few in my day, from Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Music Man, Cabaret. I have always wanted to Chicago, but it never worked out...until now! Chicago is currently traveling around the country and is coming to Denver at the beginning of February.

I asked a few of my friends to go with me, and they all had the same reaction...something to the effect of, "you can't even hear music, why on earth would you want to go to a musical? " The only thing better than Chicago coming to Denver is the Music Man. :) Every year, I treat myself to a birthday present, this year will be a ticket to see Chicago! It seems like I have a few people interested in attending the the show with me. I'll keep you posted, on how it turned out.

Brussel Sprouts & Carrots.

To say I was a picky eater as a child is a severe understatement. I ate plain white pasta with butter, a garden salad with oil and vinegar and bread at almost every dinner. For lunch I would have the standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich (but the jelly had to be knots berry farms strawberry) or else I wasn't going to come near it. I preferred crunchy peanut butter, but honestly didn't know it came in a creamy version, until I was probably 15 (I hated to go to the grocery store, and still do, so my whatever was in the pantry I thought was the only option).

When all four of us, lived in the house my mother would make what we now refer to as "hot meals" for dinner whenever their wasn't a softball, soccer or tennis practice or match. She is actually an amazing cook/chef and taught me most of everything I know to today. Unfortunately for her, she had the luxury of making 3 different meals at each dinner...remember I only ate PASTA (plain that is), and my sister usually had something else (most likely chicken) and then my parents would actually have meals. I truly feel that I lost out on expanding my taste buds because of my refusal to try anything. My parents were never the types that said I had to eat what was on my plate, and I am eternity grateful...if they had I would probably be that adult that doesn't touch certain vegetables. Instead, I am the adult that can't get enough vegetables. I love love love fresh veggies...I can't tell you the last time that I had canned veggies (it wasn't even college, I was poor, but I made scarifies elsewhere so I could have fresh veggies).

The other night I was making myself a snack before we went to Randall's goodbye party. Gonna miss that dude, but back on topic. I was on the phone with Big D and Ranger while I was cooking my snack. They asked what I was making...cooked carrots with Brussels sprouts :). Their jaws both dropped, a sigh came out I was lucky they didn't drop the phone. I was thrilled with my snack of fresh veggies sauteed in a little bit of spray butter. I added a little bit of grilling spices just to give that extra bite, but the veggies were cooked to perfection. Crunchy, piping hot, and pure melt in my mouth deliciousness! I know I know, I am strange...but we all have our little quirks, mine happens to be eating fresh veggies at really random times. Don't knock it till you try it!

CHOMPIANS!

Three-rific! Yep, the Gators are 3 time National Champions! GOOOOOO GATORS.

Had an absolute fantastic time at the Mile High Swamp. The drinks were flowing, the gator chomps were going like crazy, and florida cheers where by no means quiet or respectful of the fellow Sooners. All in all, I thought we were pretty decent winners. We cheered amongst ourselves and didn't really venture to the basement to rub it in the Sooner's face (or at least I didn't).

I had all my friends sing the "We Are The Boys" after the third quarter. Bubbles wanted to make it a kickline, grrrrrrrr, but I was just happy that she was singing along. I think the only part of the entire song she knew was F-L-O-R-I-D-A! Swallow was the DD for the night, and I was glad to have her. God bless her, she isn't drinking and came to deal with all of our drunk asses! Although, with the amount of energy I had I could have probably walked home. :). The only thing that could have been better was to have Tumbles and Werd here to celebrate the victory!

As usual, it is great to be a FLORIDA GATOR and part of the GATOR NATION!

Rocky Mountain Gator Club.

One of the best quotes I read today is on espn.com from Pat Forde "Tim Tebow is mad. Mad that he didn't win the Heisman Trophy. Mad that Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks ranks him lower than three QBs in the Big 12. Giving freakishly competitive Tebow extra motivational fuel is like giving John Daly the keys to a Krispy Kreme bakery and a bottle of scotch. Very bad idea." Yeah, so I might like that quote because I thought the statement about John Daly was ever so appropriate, but really at the end of the Tebow is already the most competitive quarterback to grace Florida field in years. No one needs to give him extra motivation, but if they do...then so be it even better for the gators. Go GATORS!

Although, I can't watch the Gators live, I'll be surrounded by all my friends that I have recruited to join the Gator Nation along with entire Rocky Mountain Gator Club. They have all been given Gator gear...but they don't know what they got themselves into until they attend a game at Jackson's or better know as the Mile High Swamp. If you are part of the Gator Nation you know that when someone yells Go Gators towards you, you yell it back and the conversation ends. Hungry continuously complains about wearing his gator gear, because he says it makes him nervous. He never remembers to yell Go Gators back, instead he stands there like a fool and wonders what to do and why these people are talking to him. He isn't the only one, it has happened to my mom as well. As cute as she is, she wears a Gator Visor (not the Steve Spurrier kind, but good enough) and people say "Go Gators" to her, she always has this stunned look on her face, like "why on earth are they saying that to me, and how do they know my kids & my money went to Florida." If anyone yells "Go Gators" just yell it back! It doesn't seem that difficult to me, but then again I spent 5 years in college yelling "Go Gators!"

Where is my BAILOUT?

This is absolutely RIDICULOUS! CNN.com published an article about the Porn Industry or Adult Entertainment Industry requesting a bailout! Apparently, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis said Wednesday they will request that Congress allocate $5 billion for a bailout of the adult entertainment industry. The Porn Industry is really struggling because of downturn in the economy. HELLO people, every industry and person has felt the downturn in the economy. I literally laughed out loud when I read this quote from Larry Flynt "This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex."

So I ask, who do I ask for my bailout? Do I write to my mayor, senator, governor, the President of the United States? I am curious as to why huge companies or industries that have miss-managed their funds feel that they should receive a bail out? Hello, I don't see anyone reaching out to the hungry or the homeless with billions of dollars in bailout money. As Americans once you reach the bottom, you really reach the bottom..you usually lose your house due to eviction, have your car repossessed, start living in shelters and eating at food banks. Americans love to see other Americans fail. However, their is really NO BAILOUT for the average American. Yeah if you fill out the proper paper work and have been down on your luck for long enough, you might get some food stamps or something but we really like to see people down on their luck long enough before they receive some sort of BAILOUT support!

I am especially angry that the companies or industries that are asking for the bailouts have CEO's that have more money and make more money then they have brains. They have been paid entirely too much and are now greedy! I have hope that Larry Flynt and Joe Francis are doing this as a joke, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised that it is actually serious. If we bailout the adult entertainment industry, I strongly believe we should all stop paying taxes!

Facebook Junky

I never never never wanted to join the social networking sites like myspace.com or facebook.com or any other for that matter. Werd talked me into joining myspace.com a few years ago and I enjoyed a little bit of it. I even tried to keep up with it for a the first year, but it really is overwhelming when you think about it. Changing your status, altering your headline, adding or deleting photos, leaving comments or even responding to messages. When I first signed up, I was like I already have email (multiple email accounts for that matter), and meebo which would let me chat with people through instant messaging...so I was completely against myspace and what it had to offer.

However, I am slowly making the change (I am always about one or two steps behind the world), whether it is fashion, function or technology. I actually like being two steps behind...that time allows me to see my friends either be a success or an utter failure and helps me pave the way through the steps and choices I want to make. Well, I was home for Christmas and my sister was showing me her facebook page. Don't get me wrong, I would use facebook, but I would log on to Werd's page and then check up on friends from time to time. I was intrigued when she showed me people that I went to high school, but had completely forgotten about. So I joined...and now I am addict, a true facebook junkie!

It has given me a chance to catch up with people that I might have gone the rest of my life and not bumped into. I talked to my senior prom date, which I haven't spoken to since graduation or some friends from my summer spending in the sticks of Virginia. I absolutely love facebook. I have been on for about 10 days and am crazy addicted! It is so much more user friendly then myspace and easier to connect with people and companies. It is more geared to the working class, middle America people than that of teenage stupidity that other social sites offer. Even my parents have joined, most of my family for that matter. I couldn't tell you the last time I talked to my 2nd cousin's husband, but on facebook we have been messaging and chatting. It absolutely amazing to be involved and no what is going on in their kids lives without having my mom to tell me about it. If you get a chance to check out facebook, please do so. It isn't as childish and thoughtless as I was led to believe.

1 and done.

I finally got the tattoo that I have always wanted. Although, this picture has a little glare and is tough to see the shadowing on the mountains, I am extremely pleased with how it came out. :)

It was not at all planned, but I am thrilled I did it. I had a few Guinness and a few Irish Car Bombs to make the adventure a little more tolerating. They say you bleed a lot more when you have been drinking, but the artist actually made a comment that I wasn't bleeding very much at all. Good for me, the alcohol covered most of the pain.

Everyone in the tattoo shop said that tattoos are addicting, unfortunately I completely believe that I am the type that is one and done!

2009?

Who can really believe that it is 2009? When I was in the second grade and became a memeber of the smoke free class of 2000, I honestly thought I would be in school forever. Here I am out of high school for almost 9 years. Crazy! Whoever came up with the saying time flies when you are having fun, is absolutely correct. I had a fantastic 2008 and am thoroughly looking forward to a great 2009. I will turn 27 this year, that is also kind of scary. I made a deal with my high school boyfriend that if I was 27 and single, we would get married. Funny how I will turn 27 and yet he gets married tomorrow :). So much for that security blanket.

Hopefully, you all wrote your resolutions or at least know them in your head. I am a firm believer that if you write it down you will have a better chance of actually continuing them. However, we all know that I am not an expert in ANYTHING, so if you choose not to listen to me, so it is. May 2009 provide you with good times, great laughs, multiple smiles, with the people you love. Live a little, think outside the box, make everyday something exciting. Whatever you do, please remember that "the greatest gift is today!"