Not the worst birthday ever...

As stated in my previous post, I do not enjoy my birthday. However this year it was actually somewhat enjoyable. It started with no work or school which I never do on my birthday and it was pretty nice to be able to sleep in. 

Later, Monster and Emery came over and decorated some delectable birthday cupcakes my Grandma H. had made. The kids worked so hard and they turned out awesome! I love those kids!

That night I went out with the ladies aka Mom, Grandma, Auntie M., and Laura. So fun. We went to Wingers which is fast becoming my favorite restaurant for several reasons.

1. Sticky Finger Wrap (amazing creamy sauce on the side) YUM!
   
2. My nephews LOVE it because they give them fruit snacks with their meals.
3. Blackberry Lemonade
4. Free Popcorn (also a favorite of my nephews).
5. You NEVER have to wait for a table even though they have AMAZING food... curious!
6. There wings (I'm not actually a fan but the guys are which is an excuse for us to go there which I LOVE)!
7. THEY DON"T SING TO YOU ON YOUR BIRTHDAY! AMAZING!

That's right no singing on your birthday. Certain people there that night were BEGGING for an asphalt pie so I found our waitress and said "it's my birthday, they want cake, please don't sing to me" our amazing waitress informed me that they didn't sing for birthdays and then brought us out a giant piece of pie. I only ate the whip cream but it was delicious.

Following dinner Jon picked me up at Winger's which was not part of the plan but we went back to my house and met Sandi, they then presented me with some seriously amazing birthday gifts. Including 12 new FFF films for FFF Tuesdays(if they ever happen again). As well as these tasty licks...

They may not seem amazing to you but they are to me. They are part of the traditional D.I. portion of my gift...love it! Last but not least I received this amazingness...

This is my new beta fish, affectionately named Ah Me by Jon and Sandi. Complete with Little Mermaid aquarium. That sucker is legit! For those of you who don't know "Ah me, young love" is a quote from Robin Hood. One of our favorite movies of all time.

After present time we went to Pirate Island Pizza. Amazingly Doll Face was there with her hubby so we sat with them and had SO much fun. Unfortunately there they do sing to you but it is a catchy little pirate ditty and we were in our own little alcove so it wasn't that excruciating. Following feeding time we played some games in the arcade and went to watch a movie at Jon's house. Good times.

The next night I had to babysit but I took the kids with me on a family wiener roast in the Gorge. This was pretty fun. It was such a nice day and we were right by the river so after we ate we all went down and played for a while. So fun. I also rode my parents four wheelers for the first time and now I might be addicted. 

All in all it was a pretty fun weekend. So thank you to all who participated in any way i.e. calls, texts, little notes, gifts, and those I actually got to see. I love you all!

Special thanks to...

-My dad for letting everyone sing 

   Happy Birthday to him instead of me!

-Celina who was secretly planning on 

   coming down until her boss took

  out the front end of her car. 

   How DARE he!!

-STG friends for a night of 

   amazingness.

-Family for coming to the festivities.

-Gma H., Monster and Emery for the 

   cupcakes!

-Mel for the eggs and flour to make the 

   cupcakes. You rock!

-Miss Kitty for her wise advice 

   (she may have been worth the $100)!

So It's My Birthday... So What.

Yet another year is about to pass and I am not thrilled about it. Many people hate there birthday because they hate being older and closer to death. I just hate all of the hype. Why does there have to be all of this expectation? That is why I hate it. You always expect it to be a glorious day but the reality never meets the expectation. My strategy? Expect nothing. That way if by some chance something amazing does happen it will be that much better. I have been harassed by many for my pessimistic outlook on this day but I say LET ME BE! It's my birthday and I will feel how I like about it. For years I have had a secret goal to check into a hotel on my birthday and avoid it all together. Unfortunately, I have never been able to do this for one reason or another. Luckily I know several people who share my birthday so I am able to attend their birthday celebrations without having to deal with my own. This year (due to advice from my psychic Miss Kitty) I have one party that I am going to miss. This opens up my Friday night so tonight at movie night I was secretly making without informing my friends that it is my birthday. This plan seems to be working. If all goes as planned I will be spending Friday night jumping over a bonfire in Warner Valley with some great friends who are totally oblivious. As far as Saturday goes, I am afraid that I am forced into attending a family party. Every year it is either endure a family party or try to dodge the bullets full of guilt that come flying my way. I don't understand this. If I don't want a party why must people force me into it? I just hope that this week passes without to much stress.

Sad

Birthday
Bear

Random Gal

By the way, my decision to post is in no way related to the request and demands for me to do so.

Also, I blog for me not for you(sorry). So if you don't enjoy my random ramblings or my lack of pictures than feel free not to read it. Wow that sounds harsh but I am tired, stressed, and grumpy so there you go. Tomorrow I will most likely come back and delete that last statement but for now it stays.

"Cool Off with a Frutista Freeze"... really?

Today as I was driving to school I drove past the local Taco Bell and the marque read "cool off with a frutista freeze". I was instantly depressed. It is only February and people are already searching for ways to beat the heat. How do I live somewhere where that is the reality? We have had a few slightly warmer days this week and it has brought with it great excitement to many... I am not one of the many. While I may enjoy the spring time in St. George, it doesn't last long so the fact that it is already here means that the blistering hot summer is looming on the horizon. When I bring this to peoples attention they usually respond with "the summers aren't that bad" or "we can just spend the summer swimming" or "at least it won't be freezing anymore". I feel as though all of those people who are ushering in summer with open arms have no room to complain when it finally arrives. For this reason I have created a list of all of those so called "hot weather lovers" so they will always be reminded of how badly they wanted melted credit cards, sunburned backs, and stinky sweaty people (if you are among the stinky see Body Odor Prevention).

Hot Weather Lovers
Jenette
John
Joel
Celina
Jake
Nick
Gump
Blake
Sharice
Laura
Paupie
Jay
Sarah

I'm sure that I will be constantly adding to this list. I will update you when the complaining starts (and I know it will).

Next for all of you people who like me, dread the heat of summer I would like to suggest some slightly unconventional slightly ridiculous ways for you to stay cool all summer long. Some are slightly expensive but most are FREE!

Random Crap #8

How To Keep COOL

1. Water Balloon Siege Machine - ATTACK!
2. Think Cool - Read books about snowy winter days.
3. Make Your Own Air Conditioner - Place large blocks of ice in a bowl and place a fan behind it.
4. Eat Spicy Foods - Sweat the heat right out of you!
5. Stay Downstairs - (or upstairs if that is where your ac unit is)
6. Take Off Extra Clothing - This means hats and shoes when you are inside.
7. Be Free - Just forget the clothing all together. I would suggest you only do this inside but you do what makes you feel comfortable.
8. Go Topless - If you live in NYC (lucky) ladies, leave you shirts at home. It's LEGAL!
9. Create Your Own Iceberg - Fill a pool with blocks of ice and float around with them.
10. Buy This Pillow - Self-cooling pillow.
11. Buy This Vest - Wear it under your clothes (or without any if you choose #7)
12. Buy This Shirt - Seriously, I need to own this.
13. Freezers Are Great - Freeze your pillowcase.

I'm sure that there are millions more but for now that is all I can think of. Any other suggestions would be appreciated! Stay Cool

Random Gal

I love edges

Last week I made brownies for a gathering at my house. I was again brought to the realisation that there are two kinds of people in this world, those who like edges and those who don't. I happen to be among the ones that do. While this may seem like a trivial matter, there have been relationships formed and ended based on nothing but the love of crunchy edges or gooey centers. At my house, there was a relationship started. There was a couple there on their first date and upon the realization that one liked the edges and one like the centers, they formed an instant bond. They took it as a sign from the universe that they were meant to be. Ridiculous or smart? Because I am single and don't have anyone to eat the sick gooey centers or anyone to fight over the amazing crunchy edges I feel a strong need to invest in...





Random Crap #7

The most amazing brownie pan on record, all edges. At $45.00 it will be a while before this makes it into my kitchen but just knowing that it will one day happen makes life a little bit happier. Until then, anyone interested in eating the gooey, soggy, sick centers?

Random Gal

Disneyland, so close and yet, so far away.

It is currently 387.69 miles from my front door to the front gates of the happiest place on earth. That is 5 hours and 58 minutes of drive time which is nothing. I find myself asking, "why don't I go more often?" The number one reason would be my financial situation. When I was a nanny and my pass was free, it was much easier to make random trips to Disneyland. Now it is a much larger commitment. A large group of people are planning a trip to California for Spring break. The trip will include the following...

1) DISNEYLAND!
2) A baseball game in San Diego
3) DISNEYLAND!
4) The beach
5) DISNEYLAND!
6) Shopping
7) DISNEYLAND!
8) Possible night in Vegas
9) DISNEYLAND!


Amazing right! How can I possibly pass this up. The last time I went to Disneyland it was extremely eventful. It included yummy soup, ex-boyfriends, cute mountain man ride operators, a random lady on the bus you could poor your heart out to, and a ridiculous young man who had to get home to "buy a new shirt" aka stalk his ex. Friendships were strengthened, friendships were destroyed... it was the most glorious three days possible. So now I need to figure out how I can make this new trip happen. What can I say, I am addicted to Disneyland. I tried to find an online support group but there is not currently one in existence. Maybe I will start one. Realistically I know I can't go. We would leave exactly one month after I get home from NYC which means that in one month I would have to save a good $600, plus enough to cover the money that I won't be making over spring break. It is pretty much attempting the impossible. But I believe that when your goal is a worthy one (which Disneyland always is) anything can happen. So here are some of the ways I plan on considering to make some extra cash.


Random Crap #6
Disneyland, here I com...?

1) Garage Sale
2) Organizing Closets
3) Baby-sit
4) Sell Plasma (Sorry Jon)
5) Sell my hair ($300-$900)
6) Join a clinical trial
7) Finally sell all the aprons I have lying around my house
8) Get a paper route (4am... worth it?)
9) Online poker
10) Recycle
11) Turn my parents house into a bed and breakfast
12) Lemonade stand/Bake sale


While I know that most of these are unrealistic and won't come close to helping me reach my goal, it's worth a shot. I had a small ray of hope the other day when I was offered a babysitting job that would finance my trip, only to have it ripped away less than 24 hours later (thanks for crushing my dreams). So I am back at square one and in need of more suggestions. Any Ideas?


Random Gal

Celina... you should take advantage of this!

As you may know by now I love to search the Internet for the most random and ridiculous things I can possibly find. I don't know how or why I do this, sometimes things just appear before me. While sitting here in the DSC computer lab after bombing my history test, I googled "midgets" which I often do when I am having a bad day. (They make me feel better, don't judge). I found what I am convinced is the most amazing thing anyone has ever though of...

Random Crap #5

"A GYM in London has replaced its dumbbells with human weights - including dwarfs who shout encouragement to motivate exercise."

Don't let this freak you out too badly. Think of all of the positive aspects of this idea. The gym claims that by using real people instead of weights, people can better visualize the weight they are lifting and that motivates them to do better. They also say that the midgets (or little people if you want to be politically correct) yell at you when you start to slack. I can think of one friend in particular who wouldn't appreciate being screamed at by a little person but may love the motivation. I was discussing this whole thing with a friend of mine and he said that it wouldn't motivate him at all, it would just make him angry. He said that he would "look at that midget and scream "I COULD THROW YOU ACROSS THIS ROOM SO SHUT YOUR FACE" and then he would do it. I would hope for the little people sake that the gym has some sort of protection against that. For anyone who would like to explore this topic further visit http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24946982-5012895,00.html.

Random Gal

What are the chances of being able to be social when you are poor?... maybe better than you think.

So I have spent the last six months being a tad on the anti-social side. This means that instead of hanging out with friends I have been spending pretty much all of my time in my room or with my AMAZING nephews. Now I realise that may sound slightly pathetic to an outsider and maybe it is, but the invitations to go out just seemed to be a huge waste of time. Not that I accomplished anything by sitting by myself at home but in my head, it was some much needed down time. So I have recently decided to semi-reenter the social seen. I'm not sure why it all the sudden appealed to me (okay maybe I am) but now I am faced with a rather significant dilemma and that would be my lack of funds. While my friends enjoy some rather random inexpensive activities there always seems to be a common theme, food. Whether it be grabbing some food on the way to watch a totally random 80's flick, or grabbing some ice cream after a totally random 80's flick there is always some spending involved. While that may seem like no big deal to most okay all of my friends, the constant "nights out" are whittling away at my already low bank account. I have a few rather amazing friends who are willing to pay for me but that doesn't do well for me in the self-respect aspect of life and pretty much always creates moments of awkwardness so rather than spend many more nights trying to scrape together change for a side salad I have compiled a list of amazing, free/cheap, food free, and most of all random activities that are sure to make any night with friends a little more exciting and a little more affordable.


Random Crap #2


1) Go for a walk.
-Our 8 o'clock walks were some of the best times of my life.
2) Pick a TV show you all like and watch it together.
-Maybe a little harder with mixed company but there is always some random rerun on
that anyone can appreciate.
3) Hang out at the book store.
-I had never really though about this before but a few weeks ago we spent several hours
at Barnes and Noble. One word... AMAZING!
4) Visit a free museum.
-So St. George isn't the best place for museums but on occasion the college with have an
amazing art show and there is always one night free.
5) Go for a hike.
-There are some amazing hiking trails in the St. George area and pretty much all of them
are free. Why don't we take advantage of these?
6) Pick a hobby you all like and do it together.
-Maybe back in the day my friends and I taught our guy friends how to crochet and we
would all spend hours together making amazing things for each other.
7) Go fly paper airplanes.
-Way more fun if you have a homeless man to run to the bottom of the steps and collect
the airplanes after you throw them and if you're lucky, he will bring you an apple.
8) Boardgames.
-Kind of lame but there are some pretty amazing board games out there.
9) Tour houses.
-Pick some amazing houses that are for sale and set up a tour. You may have a few angry
real estate agents on your hands but at least it's free.
10) Have a bonfire.
-Always an amazing time (unless everyone else there is married). Take advantage of
bonfire season while you still can. Having a friend with about a million pallets in their
backyard is a big help.
11) Create your own scavenger hunt.
-So random but make a list of the most ridiculous things and make a rule that you can't
get out of your car, it is truly amazing. Maybe one of the things on our list was a five
dollar bill so when we were done we treated ourselves to an ice cream cone.
12) Head out to the D.I.
-A regular activity in my circle of friends, it never fails in it's amazingness.
13) Carve something.
-You may need to but a watermelon or a pumpkin for this one, or you could go find some
amazing walking sticks in the woods and whittle them into something amazing.
14) Watch a movie.
-Super simple but amazing none the less. Just make sure that people are aware that by
"watch a movie" you mean "talk while a movie plays in the background". But maybe
that is just me.
15) Bust out toys from the good ol' days.
-Why not pull out your old Nintendo, Lego's, Pogs, or any other amazing toy from your
childhood. It may seem lame but a little nostalgia can do wonders for the soul.
16) Fly a kite.
-Windy days may be limited but take advantage of them when they arrive.
17) Go on a picnic.
-Invade your parents kitchen and make some picnic food. Then find an amazing park or
other shady area and have a picnic.


I have done at least of of the activities listed above and have thought about doing all of them. I'm sure there are a million more things to do but it is 1:30am and I still have to do my homework. What did we learn today? That even though you are poor you can still be social. You just need to take charge of your social circle and convert your friends to new ways of socializing.


Random Gal