Sunday, November 28, 2010

Turkey Balls.

The day before Thanksgiving, a small pub in Huntley, IL throws a big party to celebrate the consuming of turkey testicles!  The Turkey Testicle Festival.  I was finally able to attend this year and boy was it everything I imagined it to be.  Deep fried turkey balls, live music, lots of dancing, plenty of laughs, great friends, and fun times.  

 


 My friend, Justin, trying his first turkey testicle. Yum.
 

 
 As happy as my face looks here... they were super gross.


 At first, they seem like a chicken nugget.  Then after three or four... you get sick to your stomach. Gross.


 We had a fun time dancing... to Hurts So Good by John Mellecamp.

Bob and Dan Photos

If you haven't listened to Episode 59 of Bob and Dan Cast, you should. Also, if you listen closely, there are times when you can hear my camera shutter snapping photos in the background.  The results...



 bob



dan

Saturday, November 27, 2010

That's how strong my love is.



One of the sexiest singers ever.
Otis Redding.
This song is a beautiful favorite.
Listen and enjoy and just feel good listening to it.
(This is the first song on "Jay's Cd for Rachelle Disc 2")

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Being thankful, yet wishing for more

Although I mostly associate Thanksgiving week with binging on food and shopping for deals, I do like to remind myself that this is supposed to be a week to reflect on things to be thankful for. 

I am thankful for...
  • My gigantic family - there is always someone around, makes you feel like you always have someone to support you.
  • My old friends - most of my bestest friends are from grade school/middle school/high school. I love them so much. We have grown to be such different people, but its like we are family now, we accept each other along with all the craziness that follows.
  • My new friends - it is hard for me to make new friends since my old friends are so great and I feel like most people do not live up to their standard, but that just means the few new great friends I have made since high school are just that fantastic.
  • Jay - He keeps me steady when I get flustered. He makes me laugh when I want to scream. He is so very kind. I love him.
  • Being financially stable -  right now my financial situation is not too much of a worry for me, which I am so very thankful for, since I know so many families out there are sadly struggling.
  • My happiness - I have become recently aware of how unhappy some people truly are. It boggles my mind that some people are generally unhappy or dissatisfied with life. I am thankful that I am not one of those people, I strive to find light in even the darkest moments.  I have only a handful of unhappy days a year and I smile more often than not.  When I am stressed, I do throw a fit, but end up just laughing at myself later at how ridiculous I was.  It is just takes too much of my energy for me to be unhappy.

Even though I am very thankful for the life I have been blessed with... I still do wish for some things.  Christmas is coming and like every child (at heart) at Christmas... I have a wish list for all the Santas out there that want to brighten my holiday with gifts! (That means you!)

A keyboard so I can re-learn to play the piano.



This bag from Urban Outfitters



T-Mobile's new G2 Phone


The board game Quarto!
So much fun... and it makes the rusty wheels in your head turn!


Knee high argyle socks
This Aero Bed Airmattress.
My family used to have one when they first came out, but after 7 years of constant use, it finally crapped out. 
I spend a lot of time visiting people and I want one of these again.


An eternity scarf.
It is one big loop.


Someone to bake me white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. My favorite.



A trip to Spain.
Hey, a girl can dream!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Bob and Dan Cast



So my fifteen minutes of fame have been used up this past week.  My friends have a weekly podcast that they put out into the world. They are two funny guys who discuss television, movies, current events, video games, and just shoot the shit.  This week they asked me to be on the show. 

So. Much. Fun. 

I was super nervous, because they are witty, smart, and funny. I was not sure I could keep up. After actually listening to the show, I think I held my own! Phew!  

Take a listen and enjoy!


I appear on Episode 59: Funny Shui

Slacker is me.

So... it is 1am... and I was supposed to work tonight, but our census was low, so I told them I would stay home if they didn't need me.  They didn't.  So here I am.. with a ton of  homework ahead of me.  And what am I doing instead of using the extra time to get ahead of the game? I am taking an awkward picture of myself on my webcam for all of you to see.  This is me... lying in my bed... snuggling up with my sweater... about to watch shows on Netflix.

I always do this. I wait until the last minute to do a homework assignment and then even if I find that I am given extra time... I end up catching up on the latest episodes of Dexter and Cougar Town instead of writing my Scientific Basis for Clinical Reasoning Paper. I suck.

I just work better under pressure. When I know the deadline is rapidly approaching, I can sit down, focus, and type twice as fast.  

So, I guess I will just take this time for rest and relaxation so I can wake up early and head to the library with laptop and headphones in my backpack.  

At least I am true to myself and am self aware of my flaws, right?


WAYYY more importantly than me being lazy... the new HARRY POTTER MOVIE!! Ahhhh!

I loved it.
Too bad I saw it with Jay who fell asleep and snored a little through the movie (I was mortified). Although I totally love him for coming with me, because no one else could see it on opening day with me. I was about to go alone.  I refused to see it at midnight, because packed theaters make me claustrophobic. I feel like I am breathing everyone in the theaters breath. Gross. Not to mention the lines and the stuffiness and the constant chatter and obnoxious, smelly people. No thanks. So we saw it opening day while everyone else was at work and the kiddies were at school. It was glorious.  If you are reading this and you haven't seen it yet... we aren't friends. So, redeem yourself and go.

That's all folks.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

thinning the closet.

My parents are visiting our family in the Philippines early next year. I don't know if I have ever talked about my mother's family before, but she is one of nine children and her entire family still lives in the Philippines. It is insane to me that my mother was once a different person than she is today... that she was once young and single... with no children... probably a lot more of a free spirit than she is today... with her current life of schedules, bills, cooking, cleaning, working... so weird.

Anyway, about every three to five years our family goes to the Philippines for a month.  This is the first year our parents are going without us.  Every time we go, we get rid of a bunch of our old things and give them away.  Our family isn't completely poor, but they do appreciate free American clothing.  So, I am currently going through my closet and trying to purge myself of pieces that are crowding my space.  It is a lot more difficult than I always think it will be...

I see an item. 
I decide I do not like it anymore.
I remember the fun memories I had wearing that item.
I throw it in a box.
I walk away...

     ... I come back.
I remember another memory I had wearing that item.
I think of another item that would better this item when worn together.
I think... "yay, new outfit!"
I put said item back into closet.
I am back at square one.

Damnit.

... slowly but surely my closet is becoming less crowded. It's really not a fun game though. I guess I just need to remember eventually I will refill the holes with new things until the next time my family goes across the sea.


In other news... my favorite cousin had a birthday this week.  Last weekend my friends and I took her out in Chicago. She is a Milwaukee resident now, so the big city of Chicago is unfamiliar to her.  We showed her a great time.  



 she's the one in the middle. the short one. :)




My other cousin's little baby boy was baptised this weekend.  He is such a little nugget.



Advice from a wise wizard

The world isn't split into good people and death eaters.
We've all got both light and dark inside of us.
What matters is the part we choose to act on.
That's who we really are.
-Sirius.




... omfg. HP 7!

Friday, November 12, 2010

I just...

Ahh! I haven't blogged in awhile.

 [rockin' my shades]



I need sleep (just got home from a 12 hr shift.. and a meeting after my shift)... so all I have to tell you is that I just...

... ate 7 pieces of Halloween Candy at 9:20am. Gross. I promise to brush my teeth though, don't you worry your pretty little head... this gal is getting no cavities!

... put on a really old Old Navy long-sleeve. So comfortable.

... went to Walmart at 8:45am and found out that the pharmacy opens at 9am... not 8am. I am too impatient to wait 15 minutes.

... can't fall asleep because I am excited for the weekend. Maricel, my favorite cousin, is growing another year older next week, so me and my friends are taking her out on the town... Chi-town that is.  Then Sunday is one of our cousin's baby's baptism. Family and good food on a Sunday? Yes please!

[took Jay out for some celebratory (yay he passed his prelim) beers]

[Hello, my name is Luhfawnduh]

Thursday, November 4, 2010

A CORNy Halloween!

My Fall & Winter To Do List!!!
  • Bake cupcakes from scratch
  • Go to Pops for Champagne (A champagne bar in Chicago)
  • Take pictures at a park in my home town
  • Apple picking
  • Pumpkin picking and subsequent carving
  • Sew my own Halloween costume
  • See a Drive-in movie
  • Knit a scarf
  • Learn to crochet
  • Make spiced cider
  • Grow out my hair
  • Spend less money
  • Eat lots of food on Thanksgiving
  • Shop at a thrift store
  • See a musical or play
  • Have a Christmas party with my girls
  • Snowboarding
  • Learn to ski
  • Get straight A's
  • Buy my friends' Christmas presents at a resale shop
  • Bake a pie from scratch
  • Celebrate New Years in style
  • Go sledding
  • Cuddle with Jay... or maybe my cat... under a blanket 
  • Visit my friends in Oregon
 **********************************************************************

Here it is!! My Halloween Costume!!!



EAR OF CORN!!!






I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! I spent it with some of my greatest friends at our friend's house party in Chicago. It was nice and chill and fun. We went out to the bars for a little bit afterward, which was fun just to see other costumes.  A great Halloween spent with fantastic people.