Share the Wealth

So I got Madonna's Confessions Tour DVD/CD for Christmas. The other day I popped in the dvd to watch while I cleaned my room. Yeah... not happening. I ended up stopping it because I wasn't getting any cleaning done. Which makes sense. Why would I think I'd be able to mutli-task when one of the greatest showsman of our time is performing? How insulting to Madonna! Anyway, I popped in the CD and listend to that while I cleaned.

After her 2nd song, "Like a Virgin" she says to the crowd, "Thank you for coming to our show!" How cool is she? It could be silly to write an entire post on the fact that Madonna used the word, "our" instead of "my", but seriously! How cool is that? Regardless of the hundreds of people that contribute to her extravagent productions, you know Madonna pours so much *blood and sweat into her music and concerts that she could easily say, "my show". Seriously, She's Madonna. She can take all the credit if she wants to.

She rocks.

*I would say Madonna pours blood, sweat, and tears into her show. However Madonna is so strong and incredible, that I have a hard time imagining her own tears going into a show. I'm sure she does, because she's human, but I love that she has that wonderful confidence about her that would make you think otherwise. That's so cool! Love her!

Why So Serious?

Yeah. Kinda feeling mixed emotions right now. I am soooooooooooo pumped for The Dark Knight. Even more so after seeing the new trailer. but i'm a little too fatigued from my recent bout with the flu to fully comprehend. Give it a day or 2, then I'll be bouncing off the walls!

Oh, and how cute is Maggie Gyllenhaal? Seriously!

Honestly?

I do put on a front. Even though everyone can see right through it, I still like to believe I'm pulling a fast one over on everyone. But you want to know the truth in all it's honesty?

I miss my roommate.

Ow!

What the crap? How can something as small as a canker hurt zo freakin' bad? Ow! I feel like I have a tiny little devil guy shoving and twisting a pitch fork in my tongue.

Ow!

Beaver Please!

So, when I was down in California last August I did some shopping. I got a really cute/cheap/fake pearl necklace. It had 3 layered strands and the bottom strand had pearls that got bigger as they made it to the center. I loved this necklace. My sister, Lindsey, called it my June Cleaver necklace.
Well one day in Late September, early October, I was at work, just minding my own, typing away when I feel this little... give around my neck. Then I feel some weight on my chest. I look down and my necklace just gave way! GAVE WAY! The line that connected to the... well the "connector" (i'm very technical) broke and before I knew it beads were going everywhere! Luckily my undershirt and bra caught most of them. I was excited that my "lovely lady lumps" have you, were able to keep many from falling to the floor. You should have seen me try and get them all out! Ha ha! I thought I had got them all. But, for the next oh... I don't know... 20 minutes or so, I would get up to go to the printer or something and :: plop :: another pearl would fall out of my shirt. It was cracking me up! They were everywhere!
So here we are, a good month and a half later, and what did I just happen to find on the floor just now? A pearl! This makes me smile.
Let it be known that my coworkers also decorated my cubible with Red balloons and confetti for the BYU-Utah game in late November. It took me FOREVER to clean up the confetti. Same thing though, I have been finding those every now and again. They, like the pearls, have just come out of the wood work! At first, I thought it would get annoying, but it's actually been fun, because whenever I see a little Red Confetti I smile and think to myself, "17-10 BYU. Undefeated in the MWC and MWC Champions!" Ha ha!

Now Wally, I want you to go in the living room and pick up those orange peels on the coffee table. If your father comes home and sees them he'll be in a terrible mood all through dinner.

Liver & Lions

Last night I went to the Little America Cafe in celebration of finals being over with. (Woo-hoo! I passed my first semester at the U with flying colors! I'm so impressed with me!) Looking at the menu I was debating what to get. When the obvious choice was seen front and center. Liver and Onions. Ahh yeah! With my nutrition class this semester, it has become very apparent that liver is packed full of vitamins and nutrients. This fun fact has peaked my interest over the past several weeks. But who the heck offers this on their menu? I sure am not going to cook it myself. The opporutnity presented itself, and I accepted. (Did I mention this was also on a first date and he looked at me like I was crazy? He did take a piece to try, but I think he was dry heaving a little when the server dropped it off.)

It was actually really good! It tastes just like regular meat, but the texture is different and takes some getting use to. It was pretty decent on its own. But the added onions and bacon ontop made it delightful! Mmmm, very delicious! I couldn't eat it all (Like usual. What is up with restaurants and their gargantuan servings?), and this bummed me out because we took tracks into the city and were going *ice skating afterwards. There was no where to store the rest of my liver and onions for safe keeping. So we gave my leftovers to a homeless man along with the remainder of our celebratory chocolate cake.

My date dropped me off and I proceeding to drive over to Tim and Leesa's house where I arrived at 12:30 and crashed on their couch. Before I knew it, it was 4:17 am, and Tim was saying we had to leave soon. We were meeting up with Mason and CW in Lehi to go Mountain Lion hunting. CW loves to hunt and has a team of... I think 7 or 8 dogs. He basically drives around in his pimp Dodge Truck and 4-wheelers looking for fresh prints in the snow. Once found, he releases a dog to pick up the scent. It's the dogs job to follow the trail to the Cougar, (raccoon, bear, what have you) and get it up in a tree. At that point, CW releases the rest of the dog pack to keep the Lion in the tree so he can take pictures of it. This intrigued me! I had already decided I would have to tag along on one of his hunting adventures one day. Imagine my surprise when I was invited to go later that night. Stoked! Anway, driving out to Faust this morning (I can't even tell you where that is in relation to anything) the temperature was -2 degrees! Brrr! We have had our share of cold and snow this year.

Tim was driving one 4-wheeler with Mason on the back holding Tabby (my favorite of the dogs. So cute!) I was on the back of CW's 4-wheeler while there was a box containing 1-3 dogs at any given point. It was pretty scrunchy, but was cracking me up! I can't imagine how CW had any room. He's a big guy, along the lines of 6'5 I think. So, my back was pressed up against a metal box, while CW was pushed up against me. My legs were straddling CW and, considering the tight circumstances, he was pressed in tight against me applying a lot of pressure to my pelivs. I am not going to lie... it was pretty damn hot. My thoughts would start to wander a bit, when suddenly WHACK! WOOSH! I would get a face full of snow from a tree branch we went racing past. Let me tell ya, there is nothing like a brisk pine tree full of snow right to the kisser to keep the thoughts nice and clean! Since CW is gigantor-man, I couldn't see infront of him to see if a tree was coming. After about 4 white washes later, I had got the system down pretty well to lean the same direction as the hoodie (aka, CW) did.

We found 2 tracks of Lion prints and 1 set of bobcat prints, with many a Rabbit and deer tracks also. It took me a bit to distinguish them, but I was a lot more experienced by the end of the day decifering wild life tracks. We did see a handful of bunnies, some deer, and horses. I hear-tell there was a coyote around, but I never saw the fuzzball.

What's better than a weekend full of Liver & Onions (with a healthy helping of bacon), and 4-wheeling in the prowl for a beautiful creature in his natural habitat with those you adore? Really, football and a movie is the only thing that would make it better. Hmmm, the Colts play the Raiders tomorrow on CBS and I'm planning on watching a little pirated Stardust. Things are looking good!


*I have only been ice skating twice before last night. Once when I was 12. I think it took me about an hour to pull myself along the side rails one whole lap. The 2nd was about 9 months ago with my dear friend Tia. Where I clutched onto her like a woman in labor clutches to her husband. I was actually pretty impressed how far I had improved because while I did fall like... 3 times last night, I was able to stay up and make considerable strides in my skating abilites. Oh, the Canadian relatives might not have to be ashamed of me in a short time.

Where to begin?

There is just not enough time for me to write all the things that are racing through my head, especially this late at night. We'll give it our best shot anyway.

Today was a very bitter-sweet day. I took my last final for the semester. Of course, it's great to have finals done and over with, but I am going to miss this semester so much. I can't begin to express the blessing it has been in my life and the effects it will play down life's path. One truly wonderful thing is feeling this great sense of accomplishment! My college career has been less than desirable before this year. I took a year off last year to try and get things in order. This semester, my attendance was really high, I followed the pace of school, and passed both classes with flying colors! This is something that hasn't happened in a long time! I'm so proud of me!

On my way into class tonight, I ran into my teacher Rachel. I haven't written about her yet simply because... I just don't even know where to start. I am just absolutely in love with her and... see... I can't seem to get it all out. She's just the neatest person. I will not get into the details of what was discussed, simply because I'm supersticous, but I was pleased with the topic.
After class I talked to her a little bit more, and she just knows how to kindle that fire of mine. Ha ha... how lesbian does that sound? She's just very passionate and so brilliant and is a great motivater to me. She has just been so supportive and has given me different ideas and suggestions to go off of. I am so grateful to her! She gave many great words of advice, and one of them is that 'clarity is power". If I am clear on what I want out of life and my education, I will get it. Hands down, I can accomplish anything I want. What an empowering feeling to hear these words coming from my role model! I left class just, so excited as I do every Thursday. I was just beaming and smiling on the way home. I wish I could translate my excitement for finally feeling like I found my place with school, and feeling very fortuante to have an amazing person to help me out along the way. And as if all of that wasn't cool enough, I am surrounded by so many magnificent family and friends that will do all they can to help me and make my goals a reality. It's truly an astonishing thing.

It might seem a little silly to switch the discussion from what has felt like a life changing semester to something as "shallow" as the Golden Globes... but never the less, here we are! (And the Golden Globes aren't shallow. They're sweet!)

The Golden Globe nominations were announced today and I was pretty excited! Both American Gangster and Eastern Promises have been nominated for Best Picture! (Which I have been wanting to write movie reviews on, but haven't had the chance yet. I gotta get on the ball!) Best musical or comedy nods include: Across the Universe, Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, and Juno. All movies I have either loved or have looked forward to seeing! My Viggo was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama. (He so earns it! He's freakin' amazing in Eastern Promises! Which you would know my feelings about if I ever got around to writing that review of mine.) Johnny Depp is nominated for Best Actor in Musical/Comedy. As is John C. Reilly for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (which, by the way, this movie looks so pimp!). The best actress for a musical/comedy looks like some steep competition! Amy Adams, Nikki Blossom, Helena Bonham Carter, Marion Cotillard, and Ellen Page (Juno). My John Travolta is nominated for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Edna Turnblad. (Awesome!!!) Mann, I'm just stoked! Should be a good one! I'm excited to see Sweeney Todd (Comes out in 8 days as of this moment), Walk Hard, and Juno.

I love movies! This is just so freakin' awesome!

Mann, so there were a lot of ecstatic emotions that I was trying to express with the two topics above. I wish I could have noted them more eloquently, but that's how it goes. To sum it all up... Great semester to start off my new chapter of College Education, and a great movie and award season to look forward to!

Good One!

Wow! As if I wasn't already completely stoked to see The Dark Knight, they go and come out with this awesome poster!

Bravo... Bra-Vo!

Little Kid things

I am such a little kid. I am sooooo tired and should really just go to bed. Instead i'm sitting here fighting it! I might as well be sitting in a highchair, eyes drooping, my head dropping here and there. When before you know it, I have a nice cushion-like pillow made of spaghetti.

I need sleep, but I think i will continue to stall. That's how I roll.

...and she's one step closer to world domination...

I by no means am what you would call "political". I don't follow politics. I don't understand politics. I can't tell you the ins and outs of congress and the legislature.
Back in the summer of 2004 was when I was first introduced to Barack Obama, I thought he was way cool. From the couple of speeches I saw, I was really impressed and had a good feeling about him. I like the cut of his jib! I haven't followed much of the presidential campaigns for anyone yet, because it's just too soon for me to invest time. As the time does get closer I am of course planning on going the rounds to find out the views of the different candidates. As of current, Obama is highest on my list.
This morning, as I was walking out the door, mom had the news on and they showed how Oprah LOVES Obama and is ready to practically lay down her life in order for him to be President. Dammit Oprah! Can't you just leave it alone? Can't you just stick to your talk show and helping underpriviledged children and put the world domination on the back burner? I would be more than happy to only have you in my life between 4:00-5:00 MST (or whatever time it is). Which is actually perfect for me because I am never home at that time, meaning you would not be a part of my life.

Watch out Obama...You don't want to get overthrown before the voting even begins. I got my eye on you Oprah!

Oh, sweet.

Today I went to my parents sacrament and a new family in the ward gave talks and musical numbers. The dad played the guitar, which I loved! I have never seen someone play the guitar in sacrament before. Which I always thought was weird. You just get the piano/organ, flute or violin with an occasional harp. Why not the guitar? I don't think it's too crazy for sacrament. In fact, it was really beautiful today. I liked it.

Half way through the meeting I heard the little boy behind me "whisper" to his mom, "I have gum in my hair." Mom and I looked at one another and stiffled our laughter. So cute.

Later, I had to poke my head into mom's 11-year old primary class and give her the keys to my car. Mom said at the end of class one of the girls said, "Who was that pretty girl with the curly hair that came in here?" Oh, that totally made my day! I think back to when I was a kid and how beautiful the older girls were. It's weird to think i'm on the opposite side of that now, but I truly loved it! So sweet.

SWF seeking new alternatives

It's nights like this where it is VERY apparent changes need to be made, but what will work effectively?

~Up the sessions with Dr. S to all day/everyday.
~Just hook me up to a Valume IV that will fit neatly in my backpack and will cart around with me nice and easy.
~Down as much Dark Chocolate (with plenty Antioxidants) as much as humanly possible.
~Seriously consider what my blog title suggests and become "Chelsey the Lush".
~Investigate the the benefits of electroshock therapy, deciding any and all side effects would be well worth it.
~Push all this deep down inside where I don't have to deal with it, then procrastinate resolving any issues by watching hours upon hours of Sex and the City... or at the very least the teaser!

Yup, that helped cover up the pain oh so nicely! Ahhh... How I love you Sex and the City.

Hello Lover!

SOOOOO tired!

So... I have had a slew of topics that I wanted to blog about over the past 24 hours.

1- Killer snowstorm in Utah which has taken the lives of (let's go to the death count) 0 people. But I'm sure those figures will shoot up at any moment. DAMN YOU SNOW! No, but seriously. It's been a beast today.

2-How incredibly wierd and down right stupid it is to focus on one negative thing some ass face has said to you, when you are surrounded by so many people that sing your praises because they love, support, respect and accept you for who you are and never hesitate to be there for you no matter what. But... that post would be uber depressing.

3- My freakin' awesome Sports Nutrition Workshop that I went to today (even though it meant risking life and limb to get there... an hour late). Oh mann, so freakin' cool! I left so energized and added an additional notch to my "This is definitely my career of choice that will just fit me so well and take my anywhere I want in life" belt. Today I wore my BYU sweatshirt to the U after the Utes lost in a nailbiter game to BYU last week, and still managed to have a University of Utah Alumni get my number for her son.

4- BYU football. This is what I should REALLY talk about. But oh mann, I don't think I would shut up! There is so much greatness to talk about concerning that program! I never mentioned all the fantastical details of last weeks rivalry game and believe you me... there is A LOT to say. A LOT! Tonight we just beat SDSU making us 8-0 and undefeated in the MWC for the 2nd year in a row. Keeping our BCS hopes alive. Oh mann... so much to say there!

Instead I opt to share this short story.

In the shower just now, I was finishing up and pushed the handle in to stop the wonderful hot water spraying down upon me. :: sigh :: It felt so heavenly after a bone chilling day like today. I then stretched my foot forward, and pointed my toes along the drain as the remainding water dripped out of the faucet, trickling onto my toes. I thought to myself, "How strange. Why would I point my foot in an oh so seductive fashion as if someone were watching me- like I'm casually trying to gain their attention with my natural sexualities? It's just me in here." When out of nowhere my brain hit play on an audio recording where I hear Johnny Depp from Once Upon a Time in Mexico say, "Are you trying to give me a boner?" At this point I just started laughing in the shower. Oh mann... I would buy that movie for that scene alone. It cracks me up. He says it after his ex-girlfriend fires a gunshot in his direction. Ha ha! So awesome!

Wit-Woo! (You know... like a cat call whistle...)

Last night I had a dream that I had these killer legs with these freakin' huge, muscular calves that just rocked ass! They looked good... I mean... REALLY good! I was showing them off to everyone and strutting my stuff. I'd be like, "Hey... you wanna see something?" then BAM! I'd bust out a leg and give a little flex so they could see the work of art I was walking around on. Then I woke up this morning to my puny white chicken legs that I've always had.

It was pretty depressing actually.

Damn Werewolf Shadow!

So... where to begin? I am not exactly... thrilled right now. Yeah, we'll go with that.

The Colts played the Chargers tonight and I was very eager to watch the game. After last week's loss to the Patriots, we really needed a good strong follow up win. The Chargers have struggled so far this season. They definitely aren't a bad team, but their 4-4 record leading to tonight's game would reflect otherwise. Anyway, point being I knew this wouldn't be an easy game, but I also knew we could win it.

Fastforward to 6:15 MST. My dad was watching TV downstairs, so I thought I would watch the game upstairs. My mom was talking to my grandma on the phone, and I thought, "No big deal. I'll just record it and start watching when Mom's off the phone. I can catch up." Well, this is a big no no for me! I, being pretty supersticious, try to watch games live as much as possible. I hate watching a delayed game because... well it's just not the same. Knowing that a team's fate has already been decided... well, it's just not the same.

I started watching the game... and whew! It was rough! By game's end Peyton had 6 INT. I'm sure our Defense was just exhausted, and let's not forget how we are missing a plethera of starting key players due to injuries. Due to a TD runback on the opening kickoff and a couple of INTs, the Colts found themselves trailing 7-23 at the half. Ugh. You know what's so freakin' cool though? They totally came back and were in that game! That's one of the things I love about the Colts. They don't just lay down and die. Not only do they put up a fight to get back in the game, they do it with determination and will power. They don't mutter around blaming the hard times on missing players. No. They just tighten their chin straps and say, "Let's get back to playing some Colt Football." I love that about them! Mann, talk about a group of men that are just an inspiration!

Anyway... I'm watching the game, and really enjoying it. It's 23-21 for the Chargers when the Colts reach the Redzone with under 2 minutes remaining in the game. Addai runs the ball and gets the first down to make it 1st and goal. Oh, wait a minute... maybe he didn't. They review the play and determine the ball was short of the 6 yard line and now it's 4th and inches. What the hell? I'll admit, the reply shows the refs originally gave him a favorable spot, but don't.... don't say we have the 1st down and then take it away. I believe Coach Tongy... HA HA! I just combined Tony Dungy's name to Tongy... that's awesome! Anywho... I believe "Tongy" said it best as I read his lips after they reversed the call, "You've got to be kidding me!" So at this point, it's like... what do you do? Well, you obviously have to go for the 3 and rely on your defense to stop any point response from the Chargers. I'm all geared up... ready for what will happen when...

My recording stopped. STOPPED! Right then at the game winning point. The DVR stopped recording my Colts game so it could start recording Werewolf Shadow. Some POS B-Rated movie that my dad had preset to record who knows when. So, I quickly try to switch to live TV because at this point I'm only 10 minutes or so behind live tv. I'm sure the ending was all over post game shows and ESPN. Instead of seeing what the final outcome was, I get an error saying I can't switch to live tv because Werewolf Shadow will stop recording. Dammit! This is the 2nd time you've stood in my way between the Colts and I! I should have just deleted the stupid show because it totally would have been justified. Instead, I hopped online to see that the FG attempt was far right and we lost 23-21.

You better pray you and I never meet Werewolf Shadow. I will take you down and I'm bringing my line with me!

"Wherni lijen fuer plabakin weso crezuy Sharon!"

Yesterday I was finally able to go over to Laura's and Rich's house to see their cute little Boston. He is so stinkin' cute! Not only was I able to see the little tyke, but I was also able to hold him! For those of you who don't know, Laura had Boston... 8 weeks early? Okay, okay, so I'm a horrible friend and don't remember the exact date. He was only 2 lbs, 10 ounces when born. He had to stay in the hospital for awhile, but was finally able to come home right before Halloween. He's aound 6 lbs 10 ounces right now. Ooh, he's very very cute and I was very happy that I was able to hold and love him. He looks a lot like Laura I think!


Today I went to my parents ward and helped out with the kids in sacrament. Oh mann, that was interesting. They were both fighting over who got to sit on grandma's lap, (Parker would push Savannah away and say, "Go sit by Grandpa!") There was a scuttle over the cheerios, and my personal favorite was when Bishop Zander first got up to talk Parker questioned rather loudly to him, "What are you talking about?" Ha ha! That just about killed me! So funny!

On one last note, Lindsey just left to go see Ozzie "Wherni lijen fuer plabakin weso crezuy Sharon!" Osbourne and White Zombie in concert. Guess how she left? Sportin' a cute BYU hoodie and BYU beanie. I love her!

Cosmo Reloaded

After every 3rd quarter of the BYU Home Games they play a little episode on our Jumbo-tron to this Cosmo adventure. I freakin' love it! It cracks me up! I...
1) LOVE Cosmo! He is just so stinkin' cute.
2) LOVE all the Rated R movie references that i'm sure half of the BYU students haven't seen.
3) am digging all the BYU Legend cameos. Freakin' awesome!

I don't know how to just add the videos, so you'll have to go to the website. It's worth checking out. So cute! (Click on "Cosmo Reloaded" at the top and then you'll have to go into the archive section to see the first episode.)

Vote Cosmo

Sandle Stickies

So I bought some really cute BYU Flip Flops after the BYU/CSU game on Saturday, I didn't try them on at the bookstore, rather just threw them in the pile to be purchased. Today after work I needed to run to Best Buy to get The Flight of the Conchords Season 1 and Ratatouille DVD's. I thought, "What a perfect opportunity to wear my new cute Flip Flops!"






















I took the tags off and slipped them on. Ooh! So exciting! They fit perfectly! I took a step... "Ew..." I moved my foot around and took another step, "Yuck!" The souls of my feet were sticking to my flip flops! I pealed my flip flop away from my foot for a closer inspection. There weren't any sticky labels that I took off originally. It seems the manufacturer had applied the many BYU logos to the shoe from a ... I don't know what you would call it. It reminds me of like an iron on shirt for a logo. I think they did something like that, except the sticky residue was still present. Ah well... they're cute shoes, it's sporting my team, and there is no time to break them in like the present. So I went to Best Buy and Macie's with my sweet shoes, not so much flip flopping as they were suctioned cupped to my feet.

This made me laugh.

(This actually reminds me of a product I saw on TLC or something like that. They are topless sandles that stick to your foot. You can wear them as much as you want. Kinda crazy.)

Natural High

Due to a late application and meeting with my school advisor, I was registering for my Fall semester classes the week before school started. I was getting pretty frustrated because, of course, I couldn't find any open classes that I wanted to take (if any open classes at all). I really wanted to do a Yoga Class, but was struggling to find one. I finally stumbled across a Kundalini Yoga Class that worked with my schedule. I signed up for it, not fully understanding what it was. I just knew it focused on breathing techniques and meditation.

My first day of class I stood around with all my classmates as we waited for my teacher. It was about 10 after when my teacher showed up. She is about my height, if not shorter, dressed in all white - including her white turban wrapped around her head which allowed little tuffs of gray hair to sneak out. Around her neck she adorned a long necklace with a crystal attached to the end which she will hold onto from time to time. Along with her boom box, CD case, and bag containing books and papers, she had a great big smile attached to her. She just had this most wonderful spirit about her.

As the semester has moved along, I have come to truly love that class. It's amazing not only the physical demand it takes from you, but the mental and spiritual demands also. The best thing about it all, is no matter what you put into yoga, it will give 100 times back to you. I just absolutely love it.


Tonight we were learning a new set which focuses on the renewel of your Nervous System and build Stamina. This was one of the more challenging sets I have learned to date, but it was sooooo cool! We went through a couple of poses that were quite difficult and hard to sustain fully. I was pretty light headed after the 2nd one actually, but managed to feel pretty good. We ran 2 more poses which were equally as difficult. At this point we sat in easy pose (the basic pose- sitting Indian Style with a straight spine) and just relaxed. We sat for a couple of minutes and just focused on our bodies and everything that was happening inside. My teacher said, "Some of you might be feeling this Natural High right now." And I'll tell you what, that's exactly what it was. It was so awesome! There was this incredible energy buzzing throughout my body which seemed to originate right at my chest. I felt so at ease and at peace. The best part about it? I felt complete and utter self acceptance of myself. This is something I have never felt before. For the last few of months I have been working on seeing myself more clearly and not believing all the negative thoughts I have poured into myself over the years. It's been a hard process to change. Tonight was the first night where I was completely within myself and liked being there. I didn't want to leave myself to only return back to the dance room my class takes place in. It was truly a neat experience.

After this we had our next pose, which is BY FAR my FAVORITE pose in Kundalini thus far... well... if you can call it a pose. You actually just stand up, with your arms over your head and dance to Bangara music. Oh mann... it was so freakin' cool! We had this sweet eastern music (Which reminded me a lot of The Darjeeling Limited Soundtrack I just bought and love) piping throughout the room, and we just all danced for a good 8 minutes (as it's necessary to do so after we opened up our diaphrams in the set thus far). Your arms had to stay above your head the whole time. And I will admit I had never grooved to sounds of the Bangara (whatever that is)! I had a smile on my face the whole time. I just absolutely loved it!

It's kinda crazy how things all work out. If it were up to me I would have taken a Yoga+Zen class. I'm sure that class would have been fine and I would have really enjoyed it, but I can't believe just how marvelous this Kundalini class has been for me.

We have a similar situation with my nutrition class. My adoration for that class will have to wait for another time because... mann... I just don't even know where to start with it. That class has been such an immense blessing in my life. Love it!

Here is a Kundalini website that breifly explains what it is. There are many websites you can go to if you're interested in learning more about it. I highly recommend checking it out!

Flicks, Football, Friends and Family

We had quite the weekend. It all started out Friday night on a double date with my sister. My date was.... pretty damn hot. I'm not gonna lie. There were also many a times I had naughty thoughts. His name is Russell Crowe and we met up with him and his buddy Denzel Washington at our local theatre. Mmmmm, Russell! My movie review of American Gangster will come soon. But not tonight.

Saturday was the BYU-CSU game. It was the perfect weather for a football game. I drove up with Keri and dropped her off at the stadium before I parked the car. Walking into LaVell Edwards Stadium I enjoyed watching the fans funnell inside sporting their BYU gear. The air was crisp and red and brown leaves glided down to the ground ever so whimsicly. ( I don't think that's a real word...) My thoughts were turned to all the years I've been to Cougar Stadium. I wondered how many times I've walked up the South East corner ramp. How many times I've cheered the BYU fight song. How many times I sat and watched big games unfold before me. How many times I booed the refs and their BS calls. :: Sigh :: Oh, lots of great memories there! A handful of additional great experiences were added to the bank this Saturday. We had a good solid win over CSU, beating them 35-16. The entire team showed up and we had some great moments! We are still the only undefeated team in conference play and are making our way closer to becoming the MWC Champions with each passing week. GO COUGARS!

Later that night I met up with a couple of friends. First I saw my dear Jessica and her cute husband. I was able to see their new place they moved into after they married in late August. We looked at some wedding pictures which was an absolute blast. I love Jessica's little remarks and all the funniness she points out in the pictures. Afterward, I met my friend Janet where we went to a Lehi Middle School production of "The Princess and the Pea." It was pretty stinkin' adorable. I was impressed by the acting of the kids and thought they pulled it off rather well. Great job Lehi Middle School!

This morning my brother came over with his kids. Porter woke up shortly after they arrived and was hungry. I was able to hang out with Porter and hold him nice and close while he ate. I was able to capitalize on my mom being out of town because Parker who is normally very independant and will give the little extra attention he has to only my mom; turned his sights to me today. He came running up to me, grabbed my hand and told me I needed to give baby Porter to his dad so I could help him build his train tracks. This is also incredible because Parker rarely shares his tracks, even with Grandma! We were playing in the backroom and Savannah found a dinosaur book to read. All 3 of us sat on the floor and read the book together. They soon after shuffled me downstairs to watch the dinosaur episode on Ducktales. Parker laid down on the couch and told me to lay down to. Seriously you guys... Parker never does this! I took advantage of the snuggling opportunity and nestled my way into the couch with him. Savannah who is always an affectionate sweetheart, climbed aboard too where we all sat and watched the Scary T-Rex!

Matt took the kids and left right before the highly anticipated Colts-Pats matchup. I got on my Manning Jersey, changed into my lucky football underwear (they're cute), and wrapped myself in my Colts blanket. It was a great game. Indy was ontop of things. Our defense was shutting Tom Brady and the gang down. Things were just looking good! Especially in the 4th quarter with 9 minutes to go, leading the Pats 20-10. Well before you could say 8-0, the Pats very quickly scored 2 touchdowns and denied the Colts the chance to answer. Making 24-20 your final score. It's all good though. The Patriots did not beat the Colts. They just happened to end up on top by the time the clock ran out. The guys have nothing to hang their heads about! We'll meet New England again, and i'm sure it will be a down to the wire game like they always are. In fact, that's what makes playing the Pats so much fun. They are very talented and you love to hate them during a game cuz they are that good. Always fun to have a great competition alive.

Waiting for the Colts game has been pretty bitter sweet for me. Earlier this year Carrie and I had discussed going to that game. Due to work/school schedules and financing, we decided we couldn't go this year. As Nov 4th approached I kept thinking how close we were to being at that game, in the RCA dome. I was pretty bummed out about it, but remembered that it really wasn't a realisitc thing for us to go this year. This morning I was thinking those same thoughts when I saw the bigger picture. This whole time I had been mourning not being in Indy for the big game, when I realized the even cooler thing would be being with my best friend Carrie. Then it REALLY sucked. After the game when it was official the Colts couldn't come away with a W this season against the Patriots I thought to myself, "The only thing that sucks more than the loss is not having Carrie here."

So this is where Carrie and I plan our vacation together for next year. We need to plan very soon so I have something to look forward to and hold on to before I make the move out there. Love you Care! Can't wait to see you again! The more I think about it, I think I should come out to PA when Hairspray is showing! :) Good Morning Baltimore!

Sisters... sisters... Never were there such devoted sisters!

Last night I was talking to my sister Kierstin and she said that her and Ken received their wedding present from me in the mail. They got married back in June and I have been quite the slacker getting them their gift. I was debating for the longest time on what I should get them. Lindsey said Kierstin really wanted some salt and pepper shakers from Crate and Barrel and was kinda bummed nobody had got them for them. So I got her those, and looked at their registry and picked out what looked like the funnest/cutest presents. I thought it was really sweet because Kierstin said as her and Ken looked through it, she exclaimed, "How did Chelsey know? She got me all of my favorite stuff that we had registered for! If I were to go and pick the top things I wanted, these would be them!" Ken laughed and said, "That's because she just knows you Kierst." I thought that was the sweetest thing! I'm so glad they like their wedding gift!

Today I went out to lunch with Lindsey and we were talking and having a good time. When I pulled up to work I said, "So... I have some news." Lindsey said, "Is it good news or bad news? It sounds like it's bad news." While it is good news, I knew Lindsey wouldn't like it. She gasped and asked if I was moving. I confirmed and told Lindsey that I made up my mind to move out to Philadelphia. She very emphatically told me I could not move. We were talking about it a little and she was saying how PA is so far away. I told her it would be okay and she could come out and visit. To which she said, "Well yeah, but it's not the same as throwing notes overhead to eachother!" (This is because we work together with our cubicles on the otherside of one another's. We'll write notes and draw little sketches with our favorite movie quotes and toss them over to the other. I love it!) It made me laugh, and she's right... it's not the same as tossing notes.

Keri is so freakin' cool! I have been sooooooooooooo excited to see Russell Crowe's new movie, American Gangster and the day has finally arrived! Yippe-hooray! I can hardly contain my excitement! I usually can get someone to come with me to one of my guys' movies, but there are times where I feel like they are coming just to humor me. Well a few months ago, Keri saw the preview and she said it looked really good and wanted to see it with me! Yeah! This TOTALLY made my day! Nothing like having someone you love wanting to go see a movie that you're so stoked about!

I got some great sisters. I just love them so much!

Halloween at the Office

Our work had a costume contest for Halloween and the 3 categories were Scariest, Funniest, and Group* costumes. Our department all dressed up as Spa Princesses. So we have on Robes, Slippers, with our hair up in towels, and face masks. All while sipping on a little bit of bubbly.

Not gonna lie... I'm loving this! I am sooooo freakin' comfortable! I am enjoying my mud mask too. It's all soothing and smells good. Everyone in my department is currently in the bathroom washing their masks off. I chose to leave mine on a little while longer and benefit from the aromatherapy.

Everyone went out to the reception area where we were judged and had pictures taken. Ha ha, we were all lined up in a row posing for the camera when I heard a little chirp in my ear say, "Pretty bird!" To my surprise I turned around and saw a stuffed talking parrot on the receptionist counter. "Why thank you!" I replied back to the bird, "You didn't have to say that!" After my group got our picture taken, we stood off to the side and I was standing next to a very funny girl in our office. Her name is Andrea and she has the flair for theatre. She was sitting down in a chair dressed up like a fireman - she even had a mask on as to be a fire man, instead of a fire woman. Sitting atop her lap was a blow up doll. She....er I mean "he" looked at our group and started making cat calls. I was standing right next to "him" when he tossed the doll aside and pulled me onto his lap. He was making little oohs and ahhs to me, then grabbed the blow up doll again and put her on his other knee. I took a sip of my drink, looked at my new (very friendly) friends I was sitting with and exclaimed, "Well this is quite the party!" We all had a good laugh. I got up and needed to fix my towel as it wasn't staying in place. I bent over to rewrap my hair, when my little fire fighter buddy gave me a pinch. Oh mann, that just about killed me! Guess that's what you get when you present your goods right in front of a guy.

*My favorite group costume was actually a group of girls who did Spice Girls. Very cute!

The winners were just announced and our group tied with the Spice Girls for best Group Costume. The prize is a pizza party. The girl in charge said, "Okay, we'll just check with the Spice Girls and see if next Friday works for them." Ha ha, We're having a Pizza Party with the Spice Girls. I enjoy that.

I just added some pictures from the email sent out. The first picture is of everyone. (Notice the fireman and his buddy behind the nuns) Then we have the Spa Princesses (Kara, me, Lindsey, Stephanie, Cheryl & Socorro), next is the Spice Girls. Last, but not least is me sitting with my buddies.








Our picture is missing Kathy who was on a phone call, and Katherine who couldn't make it into the office today. Stephanie took the blow up doll and we put her in a robe with her little tiara, slippers and cold eye mask and put her in Katherine's chair. Lindsey took a picture of her so i'll have to add that later. We were laughing pretty hard when we had to tie to blow up doll to the chair so she'd stay. It was awsome.... and today is not so much a productive day in case you were wondering.

She lived. She laughed. Her downfall was a horrible sunburn.

This weekend was fun. Very busy, but very fun. I have already posted about the sweet BYU football game. What I failed to mention was sitting in the stadium for 4+ hours in the merciless sun. This wouldn't be a big deal for most people, but it takes it's toll on this pasty white chick. You think I would have learned my lesson today (Or from my past 24 years experience, Whatever.) when I sat in the sun for an additional 5+ hours at a Sheep Dog Herding Championship and Car show (which I will post on later). Yeah... didn't so much learn and I am sooooooooooooooo fried! My eyes haven't swollen shut... yet. But the day is young. I wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't be opened by the time tomorrow morning comes around though. I am definitely feeling it mere hours later via nausea and headache.To give you a little better of an idea- After the BYU game I was slathering on the Aloe Vera. My shoulders were very, VERY burnt. So burnt that not only do they look sore, but it is painful to have my clothes rub against my skin. After today, my shoulders look like nothing (they were covered) compared to my forearms and face. It's... bad! I hurt, I feel sick and I just plain need to go to bed. And that my friends, is why the post on the Dog/Car shows will have to wait for a later date.

Don't be a bum. Protect yourself from the sun.

It's officially football season!

I always look foward to football season, but it just isn't football until I am sitting in Cougar Stadium for the home opener. Pure bliss! BYU had their season opener at home against Arizona yesterday. We are coming off an undefeated home winning streak from last year. With losing 3 key players to the NFL (John Beck, Johnny Harline, -GO COLTS!- and Daniel Coats), questions arised as we anxioulsy waited for the 2008 season to see how the Cougars would respond. Well, we answered with a 20-7 victory over the Wildcats. It was SUCH an awesome game! The guys came running out of the tunnel and you could feel the confidence and camaraderie between the team. Oh mann, any wonder I had about the team was answered at that moment. I knew we were in for another great season- just as I suspected.

Everyone was very eager to see new Quarterback, Max Hall, take the reigns. I have to say, I was impressed. He had a definite leadership presence and didn't intimidate very easily. He called upon the offense and they followed him accurately. Sure, there is room for improvement, but I am really liking what I'm seeing.

Our defense is just phenomenal! I want to say Arizona only had 2... maybe 3 first downs by the time the 3rd quarter started. It was just boom, boom, boom, 3 and out! There was no moving the ball on us. Arizona only scored their 7 points within the last minute of play in the game. If you ask me, the ref's pretty much gave them those point through faulty calls, but whatever. That's a whole other subject matter.

Overall, BYU showed up to play and did so looking great! I am so stoked for this season! My favorite play of the game? Well I can't be sure who the player is, but I think it was the Running Back MVP of the game Harvey Unga. The ball was snapped to him, and he had a good 5-7 yard gain when an AZ player made a "tackle". The Arizona defendant and Unga both went down, but Unga's knee never touched the ground. Arizona let go of Unga, but it was still a live play so Unga took off to obtain an additional 30-35 yards or so. Oh mann! It was pretty damn sweet!

OH! Let's not forgot how the victory was also great considering the back story. BYU had a full on AWESOME team last year, going 11-2 overall, 8-0 in the conference (Winning the conference out right), and beating... no... humiliating the Oregon Ducks in the Vegas Bowl 38-8. (I will never forget how the commentator said, "This has become an Old Fashioned Butt Kicking!") Well, the 2 games we lost last year came from Arizona and Boston College. We outplayed Boston College, but suffered a heart wrenching loss in OT 23-30. Arizona was a joke! I don't remember much from that game since I have tried to block it from memory. The misssed roughing the kicker call amoungst others still haunts me to this day when I think of that 13-16 loss. Both of those games should have a W in the column. So don't mind me being smug and getting our payback a year later.

The promotional poster for the football team pretty much says it all. The Cougars are back and fully reloaded. (Remind anyone of the Matrix Reloaded?) Strap yourselves in for some good old fashioned, hard hitting football. GO COUGARS!

PS. How freakin' awesome was that Appalachian St. win over 5th ranked Michigan? Dude, so cool!

Heaven in Cake Form

My office recently relocated to a brand new building so some coworkers that work on the eastcoast sent us 2 HUGE giant cakes. (I'm not kidding, they were GIANT! I wish I had a picture to post so you could see the chocolately goodness!) It was a sweet, "Welcome to your new home" gesture. I, myself, wasn't going to have any cake since I already ate my Choco Taco from Blimpies.


Side note- I was a Choco Taco Virgin until today. I had never even heard of them until last week when Lindsey saw the Blimpies advertisement and freaked out!!! She told me the story of how her and Erika were poor room mates back in the day. They would scrape together any extra change they could find and put it to their "splurge on a tasty treat" fund. Which basically always went to a Choco Taco from Del Taco. Well, one sad day they were informed the choco tacos were discountinued from the menu. They were horrified and haven't seen them anywhere... until last week. So since Lindsey, Erika, and I all work together now, we restarted the tradition (being able to spend the $1.57 pretty easily) and each ate a wonderful choco taco! MMM! All 3 of us were in the break room relishing every bite when a co-worker, KaeCee, walked in. She asked about the Choco Tacos and Erika described them. "They're like a waffle cone shaped like a taco with vanilla ice cream and fudge inside and then dipped in chocolate." KaeCee made a comment on how good that sounded. We each agreed with a, "mmmmm!" as our mouthes consumed these chocolate treats. None of us spoke for a few seconds since we were all concentrating on the task at hand, when Erika said, "They even taste better than they sound!" Funny, and so-SO true!

Anyway, back to the point. Having had my belly happily enjoy the magic that is the Choco Taco, I wasn't really feeling the Chocolate cake. It looked good, I'll give you that, but I just didn't know if I could eat another large dose of sweets. Lindsey cut me a slice anyway and...Oh wow! It was soooooooooooooo good! I ate the entire generous slice alotted to me. It tasted EXACTLY like a ho ho, or more commonly known as a Little Debbie Swiss Roll. It was seriously like a HUGE slab of Ho Hos put into cake form. Mmmm, fantastic! Thank you Birmingham office!!

"Nick? That's an Interesting name." "Yeah, my dad thought of it while he was shaving."

Today I was sitting in my nutrition class where my ADORABLE teacher (who I LOVE and need to write a post dedicated to her cuz she's so freakin' awesome...) divided us up into groups. We all moved around and became acquainted with our group members. My group was still coming together and I overheard the following behind me:

Boy: What's your name?
Mary: Mary
Boy: Mary? As in the Virgin Mary?
Mary: (LOOOOONG PAUSE) Not in so many words, but yes.

Oh mann, that made me smile!

Life Imitates Art

When Lindsey and I were walking up the street with Billy and a handful of kids, (read about this story here) I was talking to one girl in particular that I love. The 10 year old girl is my next door neighbor named Brianne who is quite possibly the cutest girl I have ever met. The first time I talked to her, her and a friend were selling scented candles as an after school gig. These 2 girls were SO cute! They could have been selling shit and I would have bought it. Literally, I would have bought shit from them. They could have been marketing titanium toothbrushes and I would have ordered a case.
I had an additional run in with her when I came home from work one day. I had just pulled into my driveway when she went riding past me on her bike crying while favoring her right arm that was nestled into her side. She kept crying a mixture between "Ow!" and "Mom!" as she went running in her house. I stayed outside and talked to my dad for a bit, when she came out crying again. Apparently nobody in her family was home. My dad and I offered to help, but she didn't want anything to do with us. I went over and coaxed her into letting me take a look at her. It turns out she had fallen off of her bike and jarred/cut her thumb. I brought her inside, cleaned her up, slapped a band aid on and offered her an Oreo Cookie on her way out. (She declined the cookie even though I could tell she was tempted. I think it was the whole 'strangers with candy' issue that got her. I thought, "What will power! These are double stuffed... DOUBLE STUFFED!) Later that night she came over not once, but twice to thank me. The first was the sweetest thank you note left on my door. The second time I received some candy with a big hug. She is seriously the cutest girl.

Anyway, believe it or not, that wasn't the point of the post. I just got distracted and had to share how wonderful Brianne is. So, we're all walking up the street to take Billy to his bed and breakfast. Brianne and I are talking when I hear her say, "Jessica! Why are you walking?" I look to see a teenage girl sauntering in the middle of the street. She had just immerged from the dark and was walking directly underneath a half-assed-lit street lamp. She was wearing her tight revealing clothes (as so many teenage girls do) with very high heels that almost equaled the hight of her puffed hair atop her head that gathered in back to form a ponytail. She didn't aknowledge Brianne in the slightest. Instead she just kept at her slow steady pace as she cluthed her purse in one hand and took a drag from her cigarette. Brianne then said, "That's my sister. She's 18."

Oh mann, it was seriously a scene right out of a movie! All we needed was to see the dead beat loser of a boyfriend drop her off at the top of the street in his POS-barely running-Transam that he loves so much. What a beautifully scripted scene. Then we would see the dad in the front yard telling the rebellious daughter to cover up her belly mere seconds before she flips him off. And.... scene!

Not gonna lie, it was pretty entertaining to me. Enough so, that I wrote this post about it.

Stardust Overview

A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really. ”Do the stars gaze back?" Now that's a question.

Stardust- (Rated PG-13, 128 minutes) Synopsis- A young man ventures into an enchanted land to recover a fallen star in order to win the love of a young woman. While there, he runs into witches, pirates and various ghosts and magical creatures.

I had heard a lot of great things about this movie, so don't mind me if I was a little hesitant to watch for fear of a let down. The movie was enjoyable from the second it started with Ian McKellen narrating. Oh, he's fabulous. Right away the movie transforms you into another world that makes it more than easy to escape to. I found the movie to be very cute and sweet, but as the story line developed, I quickly became very invovled with all of the fantastical scenes. Pure delight!

The acting was absolutely fabulous. We'll start out with Michelle Pfeiffer as the witch. I LOVED her in this movie! You love to hate her. The thing I love about Michelle is she commands all of your attention while on screen. She is so much fun to watch and I love being fixated on her. As always, Michelle is strikingly beautiful, but along with that, boy can she act!

When Robert De Niro first came on screen I did one of those, "Oh yeah. I forgot he was in this." Now, nothing against De Niro, because he is truly a great actor, but he's never been someone that I've been stoked to see in a film... but after his portrayal of Captain Shakespeare I just might have changed my mind. I fell in love, IN LOVE with Captain Shakespeare! I wish he actually existed!

Claire Danes character was alright at first, but I really loved her character by the end of the film. (I have a soft spot in my heart for Claire from my days of watching My So-Called Life ever so faithfully as a preteen.)

The leading man, Tristan played by Charlie Cox was cute. I really liked him. I don't think I have seen him in anything, but he did a great job in having me feel comfortable with his character and wanting him to do well in all his niavity. I loved watching his character come into his own.

I had never seen Kate Magowan (who played Tristan's mother), but I LOVE HER! She is gorgeous and I loved how strong her character is. She's a female role that you wish you could be in real life. Strong, beautiful, smart, and all around wonderful!

The comic relief of the King's brothers was always welcomed and quite entertaining. My only complaint could be that I needed more of them, but really, I think they had the perfect amount of screen time.

I loved this movie! I was in the story from start to finish.The acting was dead on, the plot was interesting. I just can't say enough good things about this. I will definitely buy this movie when it comes out, and i'm sure love it more and more as I catch all the things I missed the first time around.

4 Popcorns

Stardust Movie Review

A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really. ”Do the stars gaze back?" Now that's a question.

Stardust- (Rated PG-13, 128 minutes. High Spoilers) Synopsis- A young man ventures into an enchanted land to recover a fallen star in order to win the love of a young woman. While there, he runs into witches, pirates and various ghosts and magical creatures.

I had heard a lot of great things about this movie, so don't mind me if I was a little hesitant to watch for fear of a let down. The movie was enjoyable from the second it started with Ian McKellen narrating. Oh, he's fabulous. Right away the movie transforms you into another world that makes it more than easy to escape to. I found the movie to be very cute and sweet, but as the story line developed, I quickly became very invovled with all of the fantastical scenes. It was so sweet when each of the story lines came together as they raced on foot, horse, and carriage to the star of the flim. Pure delight!

The acting was absolutely fabulous. We'll start out with Michelle Pfeiffer as the witch. I LOVED her in this movie! You love to hate her. The thing I love about Michelle is she commands all of your attention while on screen. She is so much fun to watch and I love being fixated on her. As always, Michelle is strikingly beautiful, but along with that, boy can she act! One of my favorite parts with Michelle is when she very first rejuvinates into a young beautiful female. She's checking herself out, then gives a little puckered lipped "Damn, I'm hot" look! Love it! I also had to chuckle that she was using her magic to do beauty touchups, which inturn, would actually age her. When she fixed her face to only have her boobs sag? Oh mann, I was rolling!

When Robert De Niro first came on screen I did one of those, "Oh yeah. I forgot he was in this." Now, nothing against De Niro, because he is truly a great actor, but he's never been someone that I've been stoked to see in a film... but after his portrayal of Captain Shakespeare I just might have changed my mind. I fell in love, IN LOVE with Captain Shakespeare! I wish he actually existed! I didn't catch on to his true character right away (and maybe I wasn't suppose to) but I was so amused as he yelled his threatenings to Tristan and the Star so his crew could hear. That was pretty funny, but to hear the thrilled reactions of the crew members? Holy crap. That just had me rolling! There were some chuckles in the theatre, but I BUSTED up laughing everytime the men cheered back in violent excitment. Then, to my surpise (as the movie did so much) suddenly we see the Captain had been pulling one over on his men. The captain is revealed to be a tender spirited man who only wanted to make his dad happy even though his love for fasion didn't mix with the life of a Lightening hunter. As his entire demeanor transformed into his true self, I just fell deeper in love with him with each spoken word. In fact, my hand raised to my chest over my heart, where it remained until the scene was over. So wonderful!

Claire Danes character was alright at first, but I really loved her character by the end of the film. (I have a soft spot in my heart for Claire from my days of watching My So-Called Life ever so faithfully as a preteen.) I loved how she couldn't contain her emotions and she would shine as her spirits lifted. I found this to be COMPLETELY adorable and began wishing that people did that in real life. Then I realized, "well shoot, some people already do that with blushing. OH SHOOT! I'm TOTALLY a blusher!" My blushing isn't near as endearing as her shining, but maybe I can train myself to think it is along the same line though and I too could be delightfully endearing at not hiding my true emotions.

The leading man, Tristan played by Charlie Cox was cute. I really liked him. I don't think I have seen him in anything, but he did a great job in having me feel comfortable with his character and wanting him to do well in all his niavity. I loved watching his character come into his own, and was a total pimp by tales end.

I had never seen Kate Magowan (who played Tristan's mother), but I LOVE HER! She is gorgeous and I loved how strong her character is. She's a female role that you wish you could be in real life. Strong, beautiful, smart, and all around wonderful!

The comic relief of the King's ghostly brothers was always welcomed and quite entertaining. My only complaint could be that I needed more of them, but really, I think they had the perfect amount of screen time. All of the death threats were so playful and in such a sporting/competitive mood. Oh mann, that was freakin' awesome. I loved how when each brother would enter the state of limbo it was such a, "Nice try, but you didn't make it to the end either sucka!"

This might seem a little weird to add, because I don't remember the specific dialouge, but I will share it anyway. After Tristan and the Star escape the clutches of the aweful witch, the wanna be king in question comes along the remains of the enchanted bed and breakfast where he finds Bernard, the farm boy shamlessly turned into a goat prior to becoming a young lady with bountiful breasts. Like I said, I don't remember the dialouge, but I do remember Bernard's answers to the prince's questions were making me laugh so hard! Oh Bernard.... you'll bury us all!

One of the COOLEST scenes in the entire movie (and there are a lot to choose from) is the showdown between our hero Tristan and the awesomely villanous witch. Seeing as how he was protected from any harm, it made things a lot more difficult for the witch to kill him. With the help of her wonderfully cunning mind and black magic- she raises the limp corpse of the last fallen king and uses him- via voodoo doll- in a fabulous sword fight scene. Oh mann! That was so cool! I'm sure the actor was hooked up to a network of cables to keep him upright, but also allowed him to be limp and limber. Mann, that scene was just absolutely incredible! Whoever thought that whole sequence up is a genius, and I could just kiss everyone involved because it was executed so well! It's always great to be entertained with something that you have never seen before. I'm sure they'll reveal the secrets behind it on the DVD, and I can't wait to see it!

Obviously, I loved this movie! I was in the story from start to finish. There were a few twist and tuns that kept you guessing (which is always great for me). The acting was dead on, the plot was interesting. I just can't say enough good things about this. I will definitely buy this movie when it comes out, and i'm sure love it more and more as I catch all the things I missed the first time around.

4 Popcorns

PS. Is it just me, or was Billy -the human form of the goat- (ha ha... BILLY GOAT! I loved that!) remind you a lot of Paul Giamatti? I'm just saying... they could be brothers!

Movie Review Guide

Chelsey's Movie Rankings:
1 popcorn- Hate it!
2 popcorn- Meh, it was alright.
3 popcorn- I like it.
4 popcorn- I REALLY like it!
Lord of the Rings Popcorn Tub- FREAKIN' LOVED IT!
Popcorn Kernel- equivalent to half a popcorn.

Spoiler Rankings

There is nothing I hate more than hearing too much about a movie before I see it. (Thinking of you handful of ushers regarding City of Angels!!!) Therefore I will label my reviews with the following spoiler rankings:

Mild- Very basic or generic reference to a scene(s) that doesn't give a lot of information/insight.
Medium- Specific references to the movie that regard specific scenes, characters and/or sequences that are deep in plot.
High- Will give away the ending, surprises, twists or turns. Or at least will go very in depth with the going ons. You know, all the good stuff you DON'T want to hear before you see the flick.

Overviews

These are basically very vague movie reviews (like what you would see in a newspaper) that don't go into any detail. In other words, I'll basically copy and paste from my spoiler reviews the parts that don't say anything major.

A few points that need to be addressed

• Let it be known that I am not picky with my movies. I am not a "critic" and therefore am not very "critical". I just go off of my own entertainment basis. However, that being said, I don't just HAND OUT Lord of the Rings Popcorn Tub ratings either! These are saved for the LOTRs (obviously) and Gladiators of the cinema world.


• I have a handful of actors that I LOVE. (Or obsess over, whatever) Because of this, my reviews of their movies might be a little (or a lot) bias, or shall we say... skewed? So, just be aware of this when I review a movie involving John Travolta, Antonio Banderas, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe, Owen Wilson, and Viggo Mortensen. You have been warned.


• My first blog I contributed to, was with my best friend Carrie. We basically talked about movies we had seen, and the context was really more for ourselves than anyone else. However, if you want to take a peak, they can be seen at A Swift Flix in the Pants!

Hope you enjoy the movie reviews!

Sound the Alarm! Call Scottland Yard! Oh, and Lock the Doors... All of them!

A little over a month ago, everybody in my family was out of town with the exception of my adorable sister, Lindsey. My family has 3 dogs at my parents house and Lindsey agreed to spend the weekend at home ensuring the well being of these furry family members. Well one night Lindsey was getting ready for bed when she heard two of our dogs at the laundry room door which leads to the garage. Sierra is a Finish Spitz and she loves to bark. She barks at everything and anything! Her partner in crime is Sitka, an Alaskan Malamute. Sitka is the worlds sweetest dog who is always curious about what's going on around her, but her timid personality seems to get in the way of getting to the bottom of everything she would like. Well, both of these dogs were at the door and were excitedly prancing around and whimpering like they normally would when someone from the family comes home. Lindsey couldn't figure out why the dogs were doing this since everyone in the family was out of state. Lindsey went over to the door and opened it up, and announced loudly to the dogs, "See look! Nobody is-" when she saw a pair of shoes and shins as somebody lifted our garage door up. Hearing Lindsey's voice must have gave the intruder a fright because he dropped the door and took off running. What a bastard! Don't break into our house! Who does that? Anyway, Since then, we have been really careful about making sure the doors are all locked and the house is secured.


Let's jump to last night.


Lindsey and I had both gotten home from our long day of work, school, wedding receptions, and/or the gym. We sat in the dining room talking to one another as we heated up some left over dinner. When suddenly I hear a weird scratching noise coming from the back door. I stopped mid-sentenced and asked Lindsey if she heard that sound. We both listened intently. There it was again. A slight scratching noise. Sierra took off in a bounding leap to see what the noise could be. More scrathing. Lindsey and I looked at eachother and back at the door. What the crap is that? Our older sister Keri had left about 20 or 30 minutes prior to go to her boyfriend's house. Keri is quite the practical joker and always seems to be playing a prank on everyone. I asked Linds, "Do you think that's Keri?" The scratching, albeit faint, was still behind the back door. I was totally getting freaked out, but was also convinced it was Keri. I was so irritated that she would scare her sisters like that. Sierra and Sitka both stood by the door with their ears perked straight up as they intently listenend. "Quick" I whispered to Lindsey, "go lock the door!" Lindsey not being such a scaredy cat as I, quietly tip-toed over to the door. She very slowly extended her hand out and with a sudden jerk turned the deadbolt before her arm recoiled back into her body as she jumped away from the door. Lindsey then drew the blinds so we could peer out the window onto the back steps. "Wait" I whispered again. "We need to lock the other doors. I'll get the front door." We each took off with a purpose and had the house secured within seconds. We met back at the window, opened it up to look at the porch. Dammit! For a good... 10 plus years now we haven't had a screen on our back window. It was only within the last few months that we finally added a screen. (Much to my sadness too! In the winter we would often throw chopped carrots out to the dogs and laugh as they dived with their noses thrusting into the snow in search of a frosty vege treat.) With the screen up, we couldnt' see who was at the back door. "Hello?" I asked very forcefully (although inside I was petrified). No answer. "HELLO?" I called out again to the scratching pervert. What the hell? Is he gone? Has he moved on to the next house? Lindsey, feeling vulnerable in her bathrobe (during the first incident of someone trying to break in, she was in nothing but her bra and underwear since it's been so freakin' hot lately.) left to put some clothes on. I stood my post and kept watch for who only knows what could be sneaking around. I then saw something. It was directly beneath me. It was standing on the 4 by 4 outlining my dad's rosebushes. Is that... is that a cat? It suddenly bounded out onto the grass and slinked into the middle of the yard. It's a ferret!! Lindsey was back upstairs and couldn't help but clarify what I said as we shuffled Sierra into a back room so she wouldn't run out the back door. "A ferret?" she questioned. "Yes. A ferret!" We grabbed our flashlights and headed outside for a ferret hunt. As we followed the rustlings we heard now again, we were lead to the back corner of the yard where our irrigation ditch starts. Lindsey shown her flashlight at the base of the ditch where two eyes reflected back at us. The ferret froze for a second but soon came trotting over and eagerly began sniffing us. Unsure of how the ferret would react, Lindsey picked him up by the scruff of his neck. She had learned in her Vet Tech clas that this is a very comfortable position for ferrets. Sure enough, our little buddy just hung out as he dangled there. He just chilled. (It was serioulsy the cutest thing!) We weren't sure what to do with him. It was obvious he was somebody's pet, but being 11:30 at night we couldn't exactly call people asking if they misplaced such a lovable creature. We walked out to the front yard and began talking to our neighbor. He said some nieghbors at the top of the street had some ferrets. He pulled out his cell phone and called to see if they were missing one. All ferrets were accounted for, but they said they would watch the ferret until the rightful owners were found. So Lindsey and I , along with a parade of intrigued kids (ummm... isn't it way past your bedtime?) walked to the top of the street. Our ferret was content to be in his hanging position, and his body bobbed along as we trecked to his temporary bed for the evening. The next day Keri made some calls around the neighborhood. It turns out, our little buddy belonged to a family that lives in a new development circle just southwest of our property. They had already been in contact with the foster parents that day, and our cute friend (named Billy!) was already back at home living the high life. We were very excited to hear he had been reunited with his family. Lindsey and I have already decided that we will have to go say hi to Billy to see how the little tyke is doing. I just might take a camera so I can post a picture of how adorable he is!
So in hindsight (being 20/20 and all), we feel a little sheepish getting so freaked out over a little furry friend who was just looking for his way back home. But... better to be safe than sorry right? The news reported a sicko who mimicked a crying baby on single womens porches to lure them outside. And let's not forget the ever inventive Gideon (bless his beautiful hide) on "7 Brides for 7 Brothers" luring Alice away from her cozy fireplace as he meowed to the moonlight. Gotta be careful these days. Luckily all is well. The house was not invaded, Lindsey and I were not harmed, and most importantly- we are scheduling a playdate to see our new found friend- Billy. Except this time Billy, we'll come scatching at your door.

What Am I, Californian? I TOTALLY cheered in the theatre!

You know those days where you go to your local theatre for a cinematic adventure and it is just magical from the start? Well, that was me today. I went and saw the Bourne Ultimatum.... wait for it! I'll get to it in a second. But first, we have the Previews.

We had trailers for not 1, but 2... count them 2 Russell Crowe movies! We have the ever so sweet Cowboy Take Me Away Western 3:10 To Yuma (Sept. 7), and the the ever so popular mob type movie, American Gangster (Nov. 2). Being the Russell Crowe obsessive Freak that I am (Well, freak is a strong word, because how could anyone be a "freak" for appreciating the GREATNESS that is Russell? Am I not right? Seriously!) I had already scowered the web some time ago for when these trailers would be available, I had already seen them (Many a times!). HOWEVER, this was the first time I saw BOTH on the big screen. Oh, I was happy! I love you Russell!

Another Trailer started up. The screen was black with little bits of blue rays shooting out. I heard a voice. I quickly ran an audio scan to see if it matched with one of my main actors. It didn't. A second voice began to speak. BAM! Right away I knew it was Michael Caine. Michael Caine? BAM! THE NEW BATMAN MOVIE?!?! Sure enough! I could now see the Blue Rays of light were shooting out from behind the Bat signal. HELL YEAH! I was so not expecting this Teaser, but I was all sorts of hot and bothered after watching it! Can't wait for the summer of 2008! It's gonna be sweet! (PS, my apologies that I didn't recognise your voice at first Christian. It was sensory overload.)


Oh sweet mother! I love YouTube! What did I ever do without you? Check out this other Teaser I just stumbled across that actually SHOWS stuff!!!



Holy Crap I'm excited for The Dark Knight!

Now onto the Bourne Ultimatum. Okay, Really liked The Bourne Identity. Super good flick. The Bourne Supremacy. Meh. Honestly, it's a good show but I was (Spoiler right around the corner, oh no, so little warning!) PISSED that they killed off his girlfriend within the first part of the movie. So pissed in fact that I didn't enjoy the rest of it at all. AT ALL! Even with my cute Karl Urban in it, I still couldn't get over the fact that they killed her. Oh... BIG mistake. Who couldn't love our little European Run Lola Run chick Franka Potente? Anyway, I wasn't too excited to see the latest installment and I think it all ties back to the untimely death of Franka. So sitting in the theatre, I was thinking I wouldn't really get into. Yeah, I was so wrong, because this show rocked ass! It was really good. The acting by all (even Julia Stiles who I am not very keen on) was outstanding! There was plenty of action, lots of "oohs & aahs!" and of course some sweet fight and chase scenes. The Bourne Movies know how to do their Car Chase scenes I will give ya that! Great flick. You'll be entertained.

And... one day, but not tonight, I will work out the kinks and post my little Popcorn movie Rating. But not tonight. Not enough time to do what I need to. So until I give Ultimatum a proper popcorn rating, just know it's hella good and you need to watch it soon. DO IT!