Free Cowboy Hats!

Last week at my college, I went into the ladies' restroom, and there was a sticker on the container holding those toilet seat protector thingies. This sticker said, "FREE cowboy hats! Please take one!" Tee hee. Yeah... that made me laugh.

Then... yesterday I went back into the same stall, and somebody had whited-out the sticker! Huh?! Who does this person think she is? Well, apparently there is a cowboy-hat-hater in our midst. I mean, not that I *love* cowboy hats. They're okay. I've only worn *one* in my whole life, and it's yellow-black zebra print. Pretty sweet! And I wore it to one of the two country concerts I've ever been to. Yeah... that was fun.

So yeah... that's it for now. I'm thinking of getting a job again. I feel like I need to help out with bills... although hubby says I don't need to. He's so sweet! I guess I just would like to pay off our credit cards as soon as possible, you know?! So yeah... I'll keep you posted. :)

*emmett* ~ who totally rocked her physical anthropology exam yesterday! YES!

Naming the New Planetoid.

Well... first off, Happy St. Patty's Day! Kiss me... I'm Irish!

This dude, who works for the water company, had a green shirt on today so, naturally, I was drawn to it. LOL. I just wanted to see what it said. And it said.... "Kiss my ass... I'm Irish." LOL. I thought it was awesome.

And... Did you know that they discovered a new planetoid (apparently it does not 'meet the definition of a planet')? I think it's pretty cool, but it's interesting that we never knew before. I mean, we've been in space for a long time, and you'd think *somebody* would see a large ball 1,100 miles in diameter. But then again, it *is* 8 BILLION miles from earth. :) So anyway, they've decided to name the planet Myurethra to go along with Uranus. Tee hee... get it? Uranus? Myurethra? hahahahaha... okay, just kidding. They named the planet Sedna, after the Inuit goddess who created sea creatures of the arctic. Interesting... at least they didn't name it Caitlin/Katelyn/Caytlin et al. I mean, nice name and all, but with about 40,000 of them being born per year in the U.S.(more than any other name), we have a lot already (no offense to any Caitlins out there). So... that's it for today. Carry on.

*emmett* ~ who will wear green all week in honor of her Irish heritage. :)

A Weird Morning.

It's only 9:55 a.m. and already today is weird!

First off, we were woken up by the fire alarm at 5:30 this morning. We bolted out of bed, grabbed the puppies and rushed outside. We were the only people out there. Weird! I mean... there was also no fire... but still... if there *was* a fire, those people would be burnt to a crisp. Don't they have fire alarms in Mexico? Oh! Maybe the fire alarm was in English, and that's why they didn't understand it. What do fire alarms sound like in Spanish? Hmmm...

Anyway, we called the fire department, and they came over to tell us that the alarm probably went off due to a water surge... whatever that means. So the alarm was turned off, and I was happy.

When we went back inside, I took my husband's temperature because he came home last night with a 104 degree fever. This morning it was 97.9 degrees. Weird...

To make things stranger for this morning, I go to the living room; and I see small, shiny things on the carpet. I get down on my hands and knees and find small circular ones and long thin ones. I'm sitting there with them in my hand thinking, "What the heck is this that the puppies have been chewing on?!" Then... I realize. They ate my wedding tiara. Yep... that's right, my tiara. They must have gotten very rambunctious after we went to sleep, ran into the tall shelf, knocked over the picture frame (which knocked off my small tiara) and chewed it to bits... swallowing most of it. I *did* find two large pieces of it so at least they didn't eat the *whole* thing. That would have been crazy.

Anyway, the tiara was only $2.00 so I'm glad I didn't spend $50.00 on one that my friend wanted me to get. And since it *is* a Disney Princess Dress-up tiara, I'll just get one next time I go to Disneyland (April 1st or 2nd... yay!). :)

See? A strange morning!

*emmett* ~ who is now off to get blood taken... whoopee! Pfff...

I Just LOVE Doggy Products!

We went to Petsmart today to get some doggy treats and some doggy moisturizing shampoo (Ruby's skin is a bit dry). As we were checking out, the cashier looks up and says,

"Oh! Are these for your dog?!"

No lady... they're for me. Who wants Snickers bars when you can have beef n'cheese doggy treats? And that doggy moisturizing shampoo that smells like bugspray? That stuff is far better than that Pantene Pro-V crap! You should see it make my hair all nice and shiny! Pfff...

People's intellect (or lack thereof) will never cease to amaze me. She was a sweet cashier though. :)

*emmett* ~ who laughed herself all the way home to see her puppies

The Sleeping Pill Strikes Again.

I haven't been sleeping very well lately so I took half of a sleeping pill last night. I woke up a bit groggy, but I was like, "Eh... no biggie, I'll just get up anyway and go down to the kitchen."

Well, as of right now, I don't really remember why I turned on the kitchen faucet after breakfast, but all I know is... when I wanted the water off, I flipped off the kitchen light switch. I stood there in the dark thinking, "Why the heck isn't the water turning off?! Damn it! Is something wrong with our plumbing?!" And then... I realized... Yes, Emmett Darling, you're supposed to turn that little thingy next to the spigot: righty-tighty to turn it off. The light switch controls the... *light*.

Yeah... so... ummm... now, I'm going back to sleep to sleep off this sleeping pill. What is it with me and sleeping pills (see THIS)? Sheesh!

*emmett* ~ who noticed last night that those sleeping pills expired three years ago... I think it's safe to say: they have *not* lost their power in their old age.

p.s. I just noticed: That other sleeping pill entry was done on March 10th, and yesterday, when I took my half-of-a-sleeping-pill, it was March 10th... weird

The Sleeping Pill Strikes Again.

I haven't been sleeping very well lately so I took half of a sleeping pill last night. I woke up a bit groggy, but I was like, "Eh... no biggie, I'll just get up anyway and go down to the kitchen."

Well, as of right now, I don't really remember why I turned on the kitchen faucet after breakfast, but all I know is... when I wanted the water off, I flipped off the kitchen light switch. I stood there in the dark thinking, "Why the heck isn't the water turning off?! Damn it! Is something wrong with our plumbing?!" And then... I realized... Yes, Emmett Darling, you're supposed to turn that little thingy next to the spigot: righty-tighty to turn it off. The light switch controls the... *light*.

Yeah... so... ummm... now, I'm going back to sleep to sleep off this sleeping pill. What is it with me and sleeping pills (see THIS)? Sheesh!

*emmett* ~ who noticed last night that those sleeping pills expired three years ago... I think it's safe to say: they have *not* lost their power in their old age.

p.s. I just noticed: That other sleeping pill entry was done on March 10th, and yesterday, when I took my half-of-a-sleeping-pill, it was March 10th... weird how things work out like that. Trippy.

Not Much... But There's eBay!

Wow! Updates two days in a row! I'm on a roll here! Woohoo!

Today was a very strange day. Okay, maybe not that strange to most of you out there, but strange to me because I did lots of stuff. But it will bore you so I won't go into how I drove the 30 minutes to college, only to see that my class was cancelled; then decided to go and pay my Victoria's Secret bill (and bought a new very cute pink bra); tried on LOTS of clothes at a very cute store (but didn't buy any); went to Target (bought TOO MUCH stuff); then came home and took the puppies out for a walk. But you don't want to hear about all that because like I said, my life is pretty boring these days... not much going on.

And I must say that Northern California weather is CRAZY! Last week it was raining gorillas, and this week it is in the 80s! The puppies woke me up at 3:30 a.m. so they could go potty, and it was warm outside! Weird! And then today... I was driving at 8:00 a.m., and it was 65 degrees. Two hours later, it's 85 degrees! At 10:00 a.m.! HOT for this time of year! So yeah... weird weather.

And once again the wonders of ebay never cease to amaze me. I saw this one on savecraig's diary, and man, whoever this dude is, he's a genius! After I read THIS (link used to lead to a coke can that opened itself), I was searching my house for things *I* could sell for hundreds of dollars. :) Carry on Kiddos.

*emmett* ~ who changed her diaryland salutation-name because this was an old nickname of mine, and I was reminded of it recently. I miss being called Emmett... *sniff*

p.s. I get so excited every time I look at my page and see my cute little monkey! I love monkeys! But, no, I don't fling poo... okay I do, but only sometimes...

Is that a... crab?!

The other night when I was walking the puppies, we walked past the pool, and I swear there was a giant crab at the bottom! I stood there and stared at it for the longest time, but then I convinced myself it had to be leaves in an odd position because there is no way we have crabs here in this apartment complex... especially not one this size! It was HUGE! Like... the kind you eat!

Anyhow, today while I was walking the puppies, I walked past the pool, and somebody had thrown a baby doll in the garbage can in the pool area. I peeked through the bars into the trash to get a closer look, and lo and behold... a GIANT CRAB!! I could barely believe my eyes! There *had* been a crab in the pool! I suppose, somebody had bought one for dinner, and somebody else didn't like that idea too much.

Or maybe... somebody had a pet crab, and they wanted to see if chlorine was bad for it.

Or maybe... it was a bad crab, and they put it in the pool on purpose! Like that one time when my sister's hamster bit my dad, and he forced it to have a little 'boating accident' in the pool.

Or maybe... well, I'm sure there's lots of possiblities. And now I'll always wonder why there was a giant crab in my swimming pool. Weird!

*emmett* ~ who also noticed that the pool area reeked of seafood... so you never know, there could be more!

p.s. I finally got the picture on my page! Yay! Thanks to my extraordinarily talented and sexy hubby!

100 Things

1. My husband and I were born on the exact same day: July 30, 1981. He is older by 9.5 hours.

2. I have Celiac Disease.

3. Because of my disease, I can’t eat wheat. This means no bread, pasta, cookies, cereal, salad dressings, crackers, etc… and I’m sane.

4. I used to go to the movies once a week. Now I'd rather wait til they come to DVD.

5. I rent 3-6 movies a week.

6. I don’t like condiments.

7. My favorite thing to hear my mom say: “I’m proud of you!”

8. My favorite thing to hear my dad say: “I love you!”

9. My sister has twin girls (Alaura and Brenna). They were the eighth set born into our family.

10. I have one older brother, Dack, and one younger sister, Shaina.

11. For the first fifteen years of my life, I never once slept with a stuffed animal.

12. Since my fifteenth birthday (my aunt died), I have slept with a bear every single night.

13. My teddy bear is a 25” fluffy polar bear named Isabelle.

14. I love to clean and organize.

15. I’m a good bowler.

16. I sleep on a Tempur-Pedic pillow, and I love it.

17. I can’t sleep unless all sides of my sheets are tucked in.

18. I hate sleeping naked… so I don’t.

19. Victoria’s Secret is my only splurge.

20. I’m addicted to vanilla chapstick. Particularly, Vanilla Chap-et.

21. Two of my nieces are named after me. (Reysa and Brenna Rey)

22. When I was younger, my dad drowned one of my hamsters… on purpose.

23. I was attacked by a dog, leaving me with only small scars on both shoulders.

24. I broke both of my legs… at the same time.

25. Bad spelling and bad grammar are my two biggest pet peeves.

26. On January 27, 1995, I cried so hard that I threw up my hot chocolate. I can’t even smell it without feeling queasy.

27. Every year since 1995, at least one friend or family member of mine has died.

28. 28 is my favorite number.

29. I was the captain of my high school gymnastics team.

30. I’m a perfectionist… obsessively.

31. I have asthma.

32. I can trace my family back twelve generations, and I’m still searching for more.

33. I was my husband’s first kiss.

34. We were married on Christmas Day.

35. We were both virgins when we got married.

36. I didn’t have a wedding ring for the first seven months we were married.

37. I had my teacher, Mrs. Carol Hilton, for both 2nd grade and 6th grade.

38. I love to read.

39. I love math.

40. I know the US states and capitals in alphabetical order.

41. I know all the countries of the world, by continent.

42. I love to memorize.

43. My favorite author is Robert Munsch. He writes children’s books.

44. I bought my first car (with my own money) at age 18, and I paid it in full.

45. My most prized possession is a gold and jade ring from Korea. My grandpa brought it back for my aunt when she was 10, and she gave it to me the week before she died. I only take my jade ring off to take a shower.

46. My husband took my last name.

47. “The Ring” was the scariest movie I’ve ever seen.

48. I’m paranoid.

49. I’ve kept a journal since I was seven-years-old.

50. My favorite thing to do is stand on my hands.

51. I can hold a handstand for several minutes.

52. I have a baby name fetish.

53. My favorite name of all time (for a boy) is Giovanni, but I have a German last name so it would sound silly.

54. I can type 75 words per minute.

55. Between kindergarten and college, I got perfect attendance only one year: my senior year of high school.

56. I was Student Body Secretary during my senior year of high school.

57. Coaching gymnastics was my best job ever.

58. My favorite colors are yellow, green and gray.

59. I only wear one brand of shoes: Merrell. And they’re heavenly.

60. My favorite animal is a bonobo (aka pygmy chimpanzee).

61. At the zoo, I love the reptile house… and the primates, of course.

62. I have never had a male-celebrity’s picture hanging on my wall. (no females either)

63. I only drink orange juice, hot tea and water. Everything else is yucky.

64. I have over 70 pairs of underwear.

65. I hate carrying a purse.

66. I can’t fall asleep unless I’m in my pajamas and in a bed.

67. I love my pajamas. They’re what I always want to wear… until the end of time.

68. When I was nine-years-old, my best friend died of Cystic Fibrosis.

69. It is a pet peeve of mine when people pronounce Shih-Tzu like “Shit-zoo.” It’s pronounced “Sheed-zoo!” Okay!

70. My sister gave me my cat while I was watching the Sydney Olympics. I named him Sydney.

71. I love to water-ski.

72. I was a varsity swimmer and springboard diver in college.

73. I have never fallen asleep watching TV, reading or doing homework.

74. I don’t hate anybody.

75. I have never seen Titanic or any of the Star Wars movies. Seeing these movies now would be an end to a pretty impressive streak.

76. I want to be a registered dietician so I can help others with their gluten-free diets.

77. I used to hate guinea pigs. Now I love guinea pigs, but I am terribly allergic.

78. My favorite foods are french fries, peanut butter and ice cream.

79. I firmly believe that if you want to live in the US, you should learn our language, that being English!

80. When I was younger, I wanted eight children. Now… I’m not even sure I want one.

81. I love just about every animal.

82. I don’t like bats or rats.

83. I’m not afraid of spiders or bees.

84. The only thing I’m afraid of is being afraid. I hate being afraid.

85. I carry a water bottle with me wherever I go.

86. I saved my sister from drowning when she was two-years-old.

87. When I was 12, I only weighed 63 pounds.

88. When I was 13, I cracked my sternum.

89. This one time…I kicked my sister and broke all my toes.

90. I love to cook.

91. Before I go on vacation, my house has to be immaculately spotless.

92. I love the smell of skunks.

93. I worked for the Disneyland Resort, and I could go any time I liked… which I loved and fully took advantage of.

94. I collect pins and buttons.

95. I love dolls… so I collect them. My husband thinks they look like dead babies.

96. The beach is my favorite place in the world.

97. I’m an optimist, and pessimistic people bother me.

98. I had to wear uniforms in junior high, and I loved it.

99. I like to have at least one clock in each room of my house.

100. I really enjoy life!

*emmett* ~ who really enjoyed making this list. :)

The Travelers and The Muppets.

Well, since I'm no longer busy, I thought I'd write an entry. And why am I no longer busy, you ask? Because the economy is rather poopy right now. Plus, I'm far too sickly these days to have a job... which is just not fair to employers. That said, I have a cool story.

My mom called me on Sunday to say that a pregnant woman, her husband and their teen-aged daughter came into church announcing that their car had broken down, they didn't have any money, and the nice policeman had put them up at a hotel in town. "But it didn't have heat! And we're in Colorado, and we froze!" And my mom piped up saying, "Oh! You poor things! We have a bed & breakfast! Come stay at our inn!" And the pastor said, "And we'll give you some money! Not much because we don't have much ourselves, but nonetheless, we'll give you some!"

So... the dude walks to the B&B, while the prego-wife and daughter are driven to their hotel to pack the things. My mom goes to check on them, and the prego-wife tells my mom she needs her husband's help. So... my mom drives back to the B&B to get the husband.

As they pull up to the hotel, the prego-wife is yelling at the daugther to "Go away! Get out of here! Go back home! You can't stay with us anymore, blah, blah, blah..." So my mom tells the girl to the get in her car. They drive off, leaving the prego-wife and husband.

THEN the girl tells my mom, it's all a scam! They're con-artists who travel from church to church begging for money! They picked up this poor girl in Nevada and conned her too! And the wife isn't even pregnant!

So yeah... my mom put the young girl on a bus back to Nevada, and the police were called.

People are sick! There are some real sickos out there! Grrr... makes me want to lock myself in my house, but I won't because I really like the outdoors. Anyway, an interesting story of con-artists that went to a town of only 750 people... I thought you all would like to hear. I laughed. Tee hee...

In other news, Craig had THIS (link used to be something about Muppets?!) in his diary this morning, and I laughed so hard I cried. Yes, I know I need a life. But listen to it, it's awesome!

*emmett* ~ who is more easily amused when she's sitting in her house all day. :)

p.s. Just in case you didn't notice... I got a new template! Green is my favorite color so I thought I'd get this one. I still have to figure out the whole 'picture' thing. But it's coming, and it's sweet! Carry on.

Cold Beer and Toddler Retaliation

Gosh... I've been super busy! I'm coaching gymnastics again though, which is awesome.

Every day I pass this little general store, and painted on the outside of the building is: "Coldest Beer in Town... Consistently!" ... like their refrigerators are colder than ours? And last time I checked... if you keep *any* drink in the fridge all the time, it's consistently cold. Or did they mean they are consistently named the "Coldest Beer in Town"? Is there an award given for this? Who gives it? Hmmm... that was pretty interesting.

Also, "More cute things" brought to you by my twin nieces...

Brenna had scratched Alaura's face so she was in timeout for a few minutes. When Brenna got out of timeout, I guess Alaura was still upset because she started kicking Brenna. My sister butted in and said, "Alaura stop kicking your sister!"

Alaura stops and mumbles... "okay..." And then she pipes up, "Can I hit her?!"

I was laughing so hard! These kids are two, and already they're witty. Gotta love 'em.

Take care, Kiddies!

*emmett* ~ who misses her so-cute-twin-nieces... *sigh*

The Wonders of eBay.

January 15, 2004 - 9:44 a.m.
The wonders of ebay...

I heard this on the radio today, and I couldn't believe my ears! I had to rush home and take a look for myself. Yup! They were right. Somebody *did* pay money for fast food condiments!!

Yeah... you have to admit. That's pretty darn smart!

*emmett* ~ who will be making trips to several fast food restaurants today to start her collection...

The New Place.

I can't believe it's the last day of the year! Yikes! Well, I've had one heck of a year. My first year of marriage (the bestest), my first convertible (which I sold), my first new car (which I love), my first (and hopefully last) worker's compensation suit, and my first move to a place I've never been before (northern California). Now THAT... is scary, my friends! I didn't even get to visit before I moved my whole life here. Crazy stuff.

My new house: big. (I like the bigness.)

My new neighborhood: LOUD! (rap music blasting at 2:00 in the morning that you can sing along to [if I could understand the words, that is] when it's next door is SO not cool)

My new neighbors: don't speak English! ... Okay, this one bothers me. I live in a really nice neighborhood in Northern California, USA. I expected people to speak English. But... no. OH! STORY!:

I had this woman knock on my door last night, and she was holding this huge plastic box full of bread. When I opened the door, she looked stunned that I was white. (To her astonishment... a white person! In America! NOOOO!!!) Her eyes were popping out of her sockets, and her head jolted forward out of her neck. It was very strange.

So anyway, she regains composure and says, "You buy buns?" I would have had no idea what the heck she was saying if I couldn't see into the clear plastic box.

Me: "No, I can't. I'm allergic."

Woman who didn't speak English: Blank stare.

Me: "I can't eat bread."

Woman who didn't speak English: Blank stare. Smile and nods. Blank stare.

Me: (slowly, this time) "No, thank you! I'm allergic to bread!"

Woman who didn't speak English: Smile and nods. Walks away.

Okay, now, I'm not making fun of her... I'm just saying... if you're going to sell stuff... to people in America... who speak English... wouldn't it be nice if you, at least, knew how to ask... in English? Grrr... this bothers me.

Other than that, the city is nice. I've managed to meet one person in our complex who speaks English. Sure, she's 60-years-old who just lost her beloved Chow-Chow, but she speaks English, and she's kind. That's enough for me. :)

In other news, I got a very nice job. I'm a nanny for a 12-year-old boy, and I'll be helping his father out at his business as well. I get paid well and only have to work 20 hours a week. It's very nice, and I'm happy. I'll have time to go to school, cook, clean, and take care of my husband and the puppies. Life is good.

*emmett* ~ who now... just needs a friend... who speaks English. Is that really too much to ask?!

License Plate Frames.

I saw a very funny license plate frame the other day. It said, "0 to 60 in... WAIT! My car goes 60??" LOL! I thought that was so funny. Yeah... I'm easily amused.

Also... another license plate thingy. This other car's license plate frame said "Lexus" Okay... that's cool. And their actual license plate was personalized to say, "Lexus 6A" or something like that.

Okay... here's the weird part: The car was a Toyota Camry! That's one devoted Lexus fan! I mean, I know that Toyota makes Lexus and everything, but seriously... why not just buy a Lexus? I guess this person could have been a Lexus dealer, but still... why didn't they just drive a Lexus?

*emmett* ~ who just got a new car (a Toyota, actually)... so it goes pretty fast!

Get Me Some Snow, Damn It!

I've hit an all-time low in the area of being pathetic. I miss the snow so much that I thumbed through an REI catalogue today just to see people dressed up in snowsuits... playing in the snow.

Yes, I know... SAD! I can't help it. I thought I loathed the snow, but now that I don't have it, I miss it! I thought I wanted this sunny, warm So-Cal weather every day. I was so wrong! Give me some damn snow and 20 degree weather!

*emmett* ~ who loves to be warm, but is craving the cold... go figure.