Awarding.

The Academy Awards.

Hearing the mere words causes my heart to skip a beat. Seriously, I think it's the only thing on television that I simply can NOT miss. I never watch any other award shows. I don't like them. I don't even watch that much television (American Idol [though this is my first year], Ellen DeGeneres... and the occasional House).

It used to be my goal to see as many nominated movies as I could... so I'd be able to enjoy the show more, as well as have an opinion for most categories. And this year... I only saw a few of them. Juno and Ratatouille (which, in my opinion were two of the best movies of the year) included!

I love the montages, the jokes, the mention of Jack Nicholson (always!), the political controversy (always leaning toward the democratic party), and of course, the attire. (Was it just me... or was red the most popular color this year?) And I paid close attention so that I could report my favorites:

Favorite dress: Miley Cyrus (OK, I'm a HUGE Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana fan, but really... that aside... I really did think her dress was the most beautiful. :) )

Favorite necklace: Jennifer Garner

Favorite earrings: Cameron Diaz (yes, please!)

Worst dress: Rebecca Miller (wife of Daniel Day Lewis... seriously, what was she thinking?! Those rhinestone flowers? Ho.ly.Cow.)

"Should have checked with each other" Award: Katherine Heigl and Anne Hathaway (Sure, Anne has ruffles on hers, but really... that shoulder thing? It's not like it's a popular trend. It's just CRAZY to me how similar the two dresses are!)

Most deserving of an Oscar: Diablo Cody (Juno is seriously the most well-written film I've ever seen. If it was possible to get two Oscars for one category... you know, for going above and beyond... I believe she could have gotten them. Her first screenplay [written in her mid-twenties, no less], gets on Oscar?! She rocks my world.)

"Truly shocked to the core of her being" Award: Tilda Swinton and Marion Cotillard (There's nothing more impressive to me than an actress who is truly humble, thankful and appreciative. I have so much respect for these two actresses.)

There were some great jokes too. And though I was really worried that they were written in 12 days (due to the writer's strike) when they're usually written in several weeks, I was quite impressed and laughed out loud quite a bit.

All in all, a great Oscar show. Can't wait till next year! :D

Recuperating.

I don't have kids... unless you count my 26-year-old husband, who up until a couple months ago, couldn't even pour his own cereal. But I love to cook so I didn't really have a problem with it. I mean, I always thought that if I got really sick... I *would* have a problem.

A few months ago, I came home from work one day, and the toaster was sitting on the counter (it's usually stored in a cupboard). Toaster on the counter could only mean one thing... Jeremy made his own breakfast! I stopped dead in my tracks and tried to come to the realization that Jeremy had, in fact, done something for himself.

"Honey?" With a HUGE grin on my face, "Did you make your own breakfast?! I'm SO proud of you!" I run to him with open arms and squeeze him tightly.

He looked at me sheepishly. "I... uhhh... I scared the puppies..."

Pause.

"I made the smoke alarm go off."

I stare blankly at him. Blink. Blink. I'm speechless.

I try to muster some words. "Uhh... you made the smoke alarm go off?" I peer around him again to see if I missed anything. All I saw was the *toaster* on the counter. Toaster. Smoke alarm. Huh?!

The sheepish look from Jeremy continued. "Well, see, I wanted to make an English Muffin. And I guess... well, I guess you're supposed to put the butter on *after* you take it out of the toaster."

[Enter hysterical laughter from me here.]

And finally... three weeks ago... I got VERY ill. Two ER visits, convulsions, about ten fainting bouts, fever, don't turn the lights on unless you want to be beaten, couldn't even sit on my own and had to pee in a bed-pan-kind-of-sick. Yeah, sick.

My husband finally had to say, "Holy Crap! She's really sick this time! She has to stay in bed for two weeks. And not only do I have to pour my own cereal and make my own toast, but I have to *make* and *bring* her food and Gatorade!"

I am pleased to say he made it through with flying colors! I mean, so what if I lived on bean soup and toast! *He* made them! Well, okay he didn't technically *make* soup. He opened a can of Campbell's Condensed and poured it in a bowl... but still!

So the sickness has ended, and I have quite the independent husband. ;) And even though my entire life, I was thinking, "Why can't somebody take care of *me* when I'm sick?!" when I finally DID get sick enough that somebody had to take care of me... I wanted to scream. Granted, I was too weak to scream... or sit... or open my eyes... but it was so frustrating not to be able to do *anything* because I always do *everything*, that I hated every moment of it, and thank GOD I'm just about back to normal! :D

And it really made me realize how independent I am, and wow, I love that feeling! *sigh* I feel better now.

Tagging.

Tagged by Jaime Lynne Lea. :D

TEN YEARS AGO…
I was in my junior year of high school. I lived in the middle of the National Forest at a Christian retreat center, where my parents worked. It was fabulous. I helped them almost every day after school (if I had time after gymnastics) and on weekends. We got TONS of snow and sometimes so much that we had to leave our car at the entrance of the camp and hike 1/2 mile up to our house. Uh-huh, that was fun...

FIVE THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST TODAY…
1. Get paperwork ready for something I'm working on...
2. Try out a new super-tasty Mexican food recipe. (just finished... it's divine!)
3. Call former gymnast of mine (I babysat for them too, and I'm still really close with their family) because it's her 17th birthday today. :)
4. Put away my new cardstock.
5. Put away laundry (and do dishes if we have time).

THINGS I ENJOY…
being with Jeremy and the puppies
finding new recipes I actually want to make again
scrapbooking
cooking
writing
reading blogs and home/organization/scrapbooking magazines
browsing scrapbooking galleries
rock climbing
looking out my window to see the ocean
making people smile
altering items
shades of blue
new scrapbook paper
ice cream
chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven
watching a favorite movie when I haven't seen it in a while
the fact that Jeremy and I have the same birthday
organizing and/or cleaning my house
comfy pants
phone calls from my nieces

THREE BAD HABITS…
1. Being honest (too often)
2. Finger Disease (a term coined by my husband: I rub my middle and pointer fingers together on each hand)
3. Not wiping the kitchen counter as much as Jeremy would like me to...

FIVE PLACES I’VE LIVED…
1. Anaheim, California (Disneyland, yeah!)
2. Pagosa Springs, Colorado (which I miss dearly... can't wait to go home!)
3. Winona, Minnesota
4. Albuquerque, New Mexico (only for one summer)
5. North Kingstown, Rhode Island

FIVE JOBS I’VE HAD... (these are in order of which I liked best... 1 being the best)
1. Gymnastics Coach
2. Disneyland Vacation Planner (being a Cast Member with Disney had the BEST perks!)
3. Production Assistant for a magazine
4. Pet Sitter
5. Revenue and Reservations Manager (for a hotel)

FIVE THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME…
1. I can hold a handstand for quite a while.
2. I walk with a cane or crutches.
3. I LOVE meeting new scrapper friends. I get all giddy. LOL.
4. I sleep with a teddy bear every night.
5. My husband and I remained virgins until marriage.

OK, so if you're reading this... you do one too! Tagging you! :)

Unveiling.

This has been such a great week (despite the fact that I've been extremely ill)! OK, not only are there the FABULOUS sneak peeks for CHA, but I booked my first "official" Memory Works party (I'm a consultant), AND my first publication came out today. So this LO has never been seen before today.



Yay! Used some wonderful Tinkering Ink, Heidi Swapp, and my beloved white cardstock. :) Aren't my nieces the cutest?! I was published in Ready, Set, Create. Yay. :D I really started this blog so I could do mostly scrapping stuff, but I haven't. I really wanted to wait until my first publication to post my first LO here. So I'll be posting more LOs and how-tos and other projects too now. :D

So... there is another awesome thing even! I know you're thinking to yourself, "Self, how could there possibly be one more amazing thing happening in the life of Reyanna?!" And I'm staying, "Oh, but there is!"

One of my favorite scrappers EVER... the totally awesome and amazing Kelly Goree is going to be in my neck of the woods, and I've signed up for a mini-book class she's teaching. Huzzah! AND she will be attending a crop (or so they tell me), which I signed up for. I signed up hubby too, actually. He'll bring his laptop and do his digi scrapping thing. :D

So yes, a fabulous week indeed. And would you like to know about some of the *wonderful* things I can't wait to get my hands on after CHA?! Well, of course you do! I have great taste! ;)

American Crafts already has some AMAZING stuff, but I'm really looking forward to their new collection called Amplified. Yay. :)

Tinkering Ink has tied with American Crafts as my two new favorite companies (new to me, that is) this last year. And they have completely outdone themselves with their new beauty, Provincial Fare. Navy is one of my FAVORITE shades of my favorite color so I'm totally psyched about this!

There is a new company in the world of scrapbooking, and they're starting off with a BAM! GCD Studios is unveiling TEN new lines! WOW! Can't wait to see these in real life. :)

Another totally fun one is Piggy Tales! I'm excited for their new Cinderella line!

I'll probably be posting more as I see them. Some great stuff this year!

Shopping.

Taking my husband to the grocery store with me is like taking a 5 year old. I suppose that's why I enjoy bringing him along. We don't have a 5 year old so when I get to spend that hour shopping with him, I feel like I do. :) Awww... that's nice.

The foods he contributed to the shopping cart while I wasn't looking:


1. LiveSaver FruitSplosion candies (which he quickly dove into as I put away the groceries)

2. Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor-Twists

3. Sun-Maid Yogurt Raisins

4. English Toffee Cookies

5. Cheese and Peanut Butter Crackers

6. A pound of honey ham (only strange because *I* don't eat ham... he expects to finish off a pound of deli ham in a week?! Wow. Just wow.)

And if you're wondering... no, I don't let him go shopping on his own. That would be quite dangerous!

Funny thing is that I'm so busy putting fruits, veggies and other healthy things in our cart, to even notice him doing these things! So cute. :)

So what did your 5 year old/husband put in the cart while you weren't looking?!

Reveling.

Bad idea: Feeding my dog cucumber at 2:00 am.

Good idea: Teaching her to throw up on the indoor potty.

That's right, folks! All of those, "No, wait, Ruby! Quick! WizDog!" moments, where I noticed she was about to spew on our carpet, and I grabbed her and quickly placed her on the indoor potty (the WizDog) have paid off...

She actually walked over there on her *own* accord and spewed her little tummy contents. My poor little baby for spewing chunks, but what a good little baby she is! :)

*And in my defense, I give her cucumbers on a regular basis. I have no idea what made her get sick. She *does* have acid-reflux though... I'm blaming it on the fact that it's 2am. And if the other dog gets sick, I'll blame it on old cucumbers. (Hey, they looked okay to me!) And the fact that it's 2am, and I'm still awake. Ugh. I hate insomnia...

Singing.

There's something about belting Celine Dion songs that makes you feel just so good. Not that I listen to her that often... never, actually. But when I'm feeling like I am today (heavy on the heart), singing her songs like their mine... just makes me feel so good inside. *sigh* Thank you, Celine. :)

Confusing.

Okay, so there is this house a few doors down from us. They have eleven bird feeders surrounding their back porch/deck. Yes, you read that correctly... *eleven*! (That's right, nothing to do in my life except stand around and count bird feeders.)

So the other day, I'm walking the puppies, and I see the man (who lives in the bird-feeder house) walk out of his house and wave cardboard (wildly, I might add) at the birdies who came to his deck. He's shooing them away and banging the cardboard on the deck... I can only assume he would do this to make enough noise to scare them off. So they all fly away.

I'm up at about 7am every morning walking the pups. And this man? He's doing this *every* morning. Now, I made a 2008 goal to think positive thoughts and make all things that come from me come in a nice and loving manner. But I'm just confused. Isn't it possible that the dozen birds around his house has *something* to do with the fact that he has ELEVEN bird feeders!

It's not like I thought, "Hmm... they have a lot of bird feeders. They must really hate birds!" Quite the contrary. It seems like common sense to me. It's like Field of Dreams style, "If you build [bird feeders], they will come."

Get rid of the bird feeders. Get rid of the birds.

I'm seriously considering leaving a nice, anonymous note on their front door, "If you take down the bird feeders, they will leave." That's nice, right?! :D





*bird drawing by Steve Hearn*

Noting.

Note to self: Don't eat chocolate cake and a candy bar for lunch... EVER.AGAIN.

That's all.

Searching.

You know that phrase, "A good panty is hard to find"? You don't? Oh, right... that's because it's "A good *man* is hard to find." True as that may be, my problem is with the panty. I already have a good man. So my search is on to find the perfect panty.

I mean, even this Roman woman in a mosaic at the Piazza Armerina is saying, "Dude! Romans! What's up with you? Make me some good panties!"

As a child, I didn't care so much. I mean, sure it was "silk-like panties from Target or nothing", but my mom *got* that. She (obviously) knows, also, that a good panty is hard to find. But as a child, I didn't care about what I care about today.

Comfy fabric. Tagless. Wedgie-proof. No panty lines. I mean, isn't that what all women want in a panty? Well, okay, not *all* women, or there would be no imperfect panties out there. And let me tell you... there are *a lot* of imperfect panties.

"Oh, why don't you just wear a thong, Reyanna! Those are *oh so* comfy. Who doesn't like butt-floss?" Uhhh... yeah. HATE.THONGS.WITH.A.PASSION. The woman at Victoria's Secret told me, "Oh, just wear them for a few days. You'll get use to them!"
Uhh... no. Lady, it didn't happen.

Comfy fabric? Usually.
Tagless? You can find them.
Wedgie-proof? Don't kid yourself... something that is perpetually *in* your butt is not wedgie-proof.
Panty lines? Virtually never.

And now I have like $40 worth of thongs in my drawers AND panty lines. Sheesh.

This may have to do with the fact that I was a gymnast. See, gymnasts get wedgies... often. As in, those leotards have set up camp there, and they are not leaving until practice is over! Period. So maybe that's why I don't like thongs. *I* know that little string is not *supposed* to be there. I can feel it. It doesn't matter how long I wear it. It's not pulling a "Violet from The Incredibles" on me and disappearing into thin air. It's like I'm an eternal gymnast (wedgies forever, oh my), except I can't do the cool tricks anymore. OK, maybe *one* cool trick... ;)

So... the search continued... The Hanes Women's BoyChic? (Actually, are much cuter in real life. They look really strange in this picture!) A *great* panty. Found at Walmart for about $5.88 (give or take a few cents) for two pairs.

Comfy fabric? Check!
Tagless? Check!
Wedgie-proof? Check!
Panty lines? Oooh, so close.

They're made of cotton. The downfall. Cotton panties must give panty lines... it's their job.

And even companies who *claim* seamless/no panty lines (read Victoria's Secret $14/pair panties!) fall short. I know. I own the Body by Victoria Hiphuggers... in most colors. Very comfy. Some are tagless. Usualy wedgie-proof... but still... they usually have panty lines. *sigh*

So yesterday, I decided to try the Body by Victoria Boyshort. Yeah, I may as well put on a thong. They're pretty much setting up camp too. See, I read "boy short" as in "shorts that are boy-style." Oh, no, that's what they *want* you to read. But yeah... it really means, "Boy, are they short!" As in, shorter than a regular pair of panties. These are worse than briefs.

Another favorite of mine? Hanes Women's Boxer Briefs. Probably the most comfortable pair of panties *ever*.

Comfy fabric? Check!
Tagless? Check!
Wedgie-proof? Check!
Panty lines? Oooh, again... so close.

Now, Hanes, if you're reading... ditch the cotton and go with a Nylon/Spandex blend. The world of panties will be yours! We know you've been making panties longer than we've been wearing them so please, help us! Our bottoms are anxiously waiting.

And if *you* think you've found the perfect panty, please share with the class! :D

Flying.

So day after tomorrow, we're heading out again. This time to Texas. Weren't we just *on* a plane?! *sigh* I'm not much for flying. All that walking through the airport, and you're thinking, "I just want to get to my gate and sit down!" And then you get on the plane and you're thinking, "I just want to get there so I can stand up!" Tee hee. And I seem to be hungry ALL the time in airports. I think it's the overpriced food... it calls out to you... some sort of subliminal message.

Though, this plane trip won't be as long as the one to California so that's a relief. :) We're spending Thanksgiving with Jeremy's family. I finally get to meet the aunts, uncles and cousins... finally, after five years of marriage. :D

I have seriously been looking forward (for two months!) to warmer weather! 70s and 80s... sun, short sleeves, no jacket, for eight days... ahhhh... it'll be so nice...

Uh-huh. Yeah. Then I decided to check the weather. *sigh* Just.My.Luck. The day we leave? Sunny and 86 degrees. The whole week we're there? Rain. RAIN.RAIN! And temps in the 30s and 40ss. And the day we come home? Sunny and 70 degrees, of course. *laugh* You just have to laugh at that.

San Antonio is punishing me for what I did last time. Yeah, that handstand picture? That's me. I'm doing a handstand at the Alamo. I don't just stand places and take pictures. That's too boring for me. I must do a handstand instead.

And see, you're allowed to take pictures of the Alamo. You're allowed to take a picture of yourself in front of the Alamo. But doing a *handstand* in front of the Alamo? Umm... yeah, not allowed.

And word to the wise, if *you* ever decide to do a handstand at the Alamo... and you're up in the handstand, and you hear a loud whistle, and some big guy yelling... yeah, that would be the security guard, yelling at you to get down and get out! Or so I've heard...

Questioning.

I found this at LauraVegas' blog, and I thought it looked fun. :D

1. are you taller than your best friend? Yes, for some reason, I'm always taller than my best friends. Oh! except Britt... we're the same height. :D But Camille? She's a shorty. ;)

2. do you have a favorite type of pen? I do... fat ones. Especially these. Mmm... those are good.

3. look at your planner for November 28, what are you doing? I will be flying home from Texas.

4. what color are your toenails usually? during the summer, they're Mamma Mia by OPI. During the fall/winter, I don't paint them. *sigh* I should.

5. what was the last thing you highlighted? hmmm... I'm thinking... some sort of text... with a highlighter

6. what color are the curtains in your bedroom? beige (IKEA was out of dark brown, darn it!)

7. what color are the seats in your car? grey... yeah, I'm pretty sure they're grey.

8. have you ever had a black and white cat? I love black cats best. I've had Asher and Sydney (both had a bit of white on them).

9. what is the last thing you put a stamp on? My student loan bills. Ugh.

10. do you know anyone who lives in wyoming? uhhh... nope, but my mom was born there! She lived there for about 3 months. :p

11. why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time? I don't do that unless I do laundry at the Laundromat. Does using your debit card at the grocery store count? If so, then I took out money to tip our bagger. :)

12. who is the last baby that you held? Wow... it's been a while. I think Corbin, my friend Rachel's baby.

13. can you spell well? yes, I can. And I also have spell-check-as-you-type on Firefox. YESS. :)

14. do you like cinnamon toothpaste? yup, and that's what we always use!

15. what kind of car were you driving 2 years ago? same one as now. My Toyota Corolla. Love that car. :)

16. pick one: miami hurricanes or florida gators? Well, I wouldn't like to be in a hurricane, and I wouldn't want to meet a gator that wasn't in a zoo. Wait... are these sports teams?!

17. last time you went to Six Flags? Oh, gosh, umm... it was either last summer or the summer before that. We had annual passes.

18. which show currently making new episodes should be canceled? I have no idea because I don't watch television. But I heard they made a show about the insurance cavemen?! What?! Probably that one. Tee hee.

19. closest thing to you that is yellow? A cereal box. It's on the computer table because I was eating cereal while I was on message boards. LOL.

20. last person you gave a business card? Weird! We were just designing my business cards this morning! So... nobody yet. :D

21. who is the last person you wrote a check to? Again, student loan payment to St. Mary's University of Minnesota. :p

22. closest framed picture to you? Directly to my left. I'm swinging on a tire swing. :D

23. last time you had someone cook for you? Just a few weeks ago. I was visiting my grandparents. My grandpa made *THE* best omelet ever!! It was bacon, onion and avocado... seriously best omelet ever (and I don't even *like* avocado)!

24. have you ever applied for welfare? nope

25. how many emails do you get in your inbox daily (excluding spam)? hmm... maybe 5?

26. last time you received flowers? Actually, Jeremy got me tulips for Valentine's this year! Wow, they were beautiful. :D

27. what is the weather like? It's 2:42 pm, and it's 39 degrees. Brrr...

28. do you play air guitar? LOL. Yes... whenever I hear the Who on CSI (if I ever watch it).

29. has anyone ever proposed to you? yeah... Jeremy did twice! LOL. He said it felt so good the first time that he wanted to ask me again... so he did. So two proposals in a time-frame of about 60 seconds.

30. do you take anything in your coffee? depends on my mood... sometimes black, sometimes milk and sugar

31. do you have any Willow Tree figurines? never even heard of them

32. what is/was your high school's mascot? we were the Pirates. The Pagosa Pirates. But I once was able to convince a gullible friend that we were the Pagosa Springs Wombats, and our colors were baby pink and sky blue. That was funny.

33. last person you spoke to from high school? one of my best friends from high school, Kim. She called me Friday night, just to say hi (and that she has a new boyfriend... a guy we went to HS with. LOL.)

34. how often do you use hand sanitizer? a few times a day usually. LOL. I'm so anal about germs because I get sick so often.

35. would you like to learn to play the drums? uhh... nah.

36. what color are the blinds in your living room? I don't have blinds in the living room. I have curtains... ivory ones. We have blinds in the kitchen and bathroom... they're white. What a strange question.

37. is you furniture cloth or leather? wood and cloth

38. last thing you read in the newspaper? does online newspaper count? I read about a love story in Manhattan. Very sweet.

39. what was the last pageant you attended? pageant? Does the average American attend those?

40. what is the last place you bought pizza from? That wasn't frozen? Disneyland. LOL. They have gluten-free pizzas at Redd-Rocket's Pizza Port. :D And it was super tasty.

41. have you ever worn a crown? my wedding day... I bought a gold Disney princess crown and my sister hooked my veil to it. :D

42. what is the last thing you stapled? I don't even remember!

43. did you ever drink clear Pepsi? Yeah, I did! It was strange.

44. are you ticklish? yes, very. Jeremy is the most ticklish person ever though so in order to get out of being tickled, I just tickle him. :D

45. last time you saw fireworks? Labor Day. :D Oh wait! A few days after Labor Day, there were some RIGHT out my bathroom window. That was weird.

46. last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut? I've never actually had one. I didn't find out about them until after I discovered I was allergic/intolerant to wheat. I did chew on one once and then spit it out. Tastes like a doughnut. LOL.

47. who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned it? Camille... to confirm our movie date for Friday. :D

48. has your mailbox ever been full? I think on Yahoo. Oh, wait, snail mail? Definitely.

49. do you have a black dog? nope, Amber is gold/white and Ruby is red/white.

50. can you give one reason why David Caruso is allowed to keep acting? UGH! NO! Can't STAND that guy. Worst actor ever. Perhaps he... you know... gave something extra special to somebody high up? It will boggle the mind forever... LOL.

51. are you an aunt or uncle? yup! I'm Ani (aw-nee)! Aunt to London (in Heaven), Cullen, Reysa, Alaura, Brenna and Mairen (May-May).

52. who has the prettiest eyes that you know of? Probably my sister. Oh! And my friend Melissa. WOW!

53. last time you saw a semi truck? yesterday... we did lots of driving around.

54. do you think people lie on these surveys? perhaps. I don't though!

55. what is something you know you need to do, but you keep making excuses? Putting stuff on ebay. The thrift store is so much more appealing

Okay, so now your turn! I mean, if you'd like... :D

Watching.

A friend of mine asked me about my favorite movies and TV shows. When I replied to her (through email), I thought, "You may be sorry you got me started... I am quite long-winded... in case you didn't know..."

See, most people can just spout of some answers, but for me? It's more than that.

Favorite movie of all time: Sound of Music

Favorite movie I watch over and over and never get sick of: Love Actually

Other movies I could watch over and over and over: Groundhog Day, When Harry Met Sally, Speechless, 50 First Dates

Did you want genres too? I usually do those, but I'll just list my other favorite movies! :D

V for Vendetta, The Parent Trap (both), Pollyanna, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, The Motorcycle Diaries (you MUST see this if you haven't... it's a drama about Che Guevara... awesome! I was forced to watch it for college Spanish, and I'm SO thankful now. Who knew?!), Wayne's World, Stranger Than Fiction (I brought you flours!), The Shawshank Redemption, Rudy, White Oleander, Amelie.

Then there's a few that I thought were AMAZING, but I couldn't watch again... like Monster's Ball and Adaptation. I thought V for Vendetta was one of those too, but I've seen it three times now, and I just close my eyes at scary parts. :D

And TV shows. Well, okay, here's the thing. A few years ago, we hardly ever watched TV, Jeremy NEVER watched it so we got rid of it. We watched movies on our computer. Then this last summer, Jeremy decided he *needed* a 32" flat screen, HD LCD TV and HD antenna so that he could watch CSI in Hi-Def. The only show he'll watch (a friend got him hooked). So... we got a TV (MUCH to my chagrin... I put up a fight like you wouldn't believe!), and you know what?! We do watch CSI... most of the time. But that's it. It's used for DVDs. I forget we even have one until I want to watch a movie. It's a glorified movie screen, hanging on the wall.

That being said, I still have favorite shows. Favorite of all time is Friends. I own all seasons on DVD, and I watch it *every* day (pathetic? I think yes!). I used to be a faithful Desperate Housewives fan, but when we got rid of our TV, I fell out of that phase. I was able to watch it a few weeks ago, I still like it, but I always forget to watch it. And Jeremy hates it with the very core of his being so he probably wouldn't let me watch it anyway. :p

So... the only show I watch religiously now (that's *not* in syndication) is Pushing Daisies. It's just... *sigh* awesome. Lee Pace is adorable, and I think I like it because it's just so different from everything else I've ever seen. Jeremy doesn't like me watching it though (remember... hates TV... if he would only *watch* one episode... sheesh) so I watch it online on Thursday mornings. Guess what today is?! Thursday! WOOHOO!!

I also LOVE the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I used to watch that religiously too, and if I was going to miss it, I'd tape it. We no longer have a VCR, and get this... I *forget* to watch it on a daily basis. Grrr. Then when I realize I've missed it... usually at like 3:57, I'm like, "SHOOT! I missed Ellen! Dang it!"

I guess that means that I'm over the TV thing. I'm too busy scrapbooking, thinking about scrapbooking... or visiting scrapbook.com and private messaging, blogging or posting threads regarding scrapbooking. Or yesterday, getting my oil changed.

I contemplated changing the channel to Ellen at the oil change place, but this 90-year-old man was watching CNBC. After much deliberation:

"I want to watch Ellen! It's 3:00! I'm remembering! Should I ask the old man if I can change it? He's old. And maybe all he wants to do is watch CNBC in peace. Perhaps he could die tomorrow, and he will be lying on his deathbed thinking, 'I'm so glad I got to watch CNBC while I got my oil changed. Knowing that gas prices are astronomical is definitely what I wanted to hear before seeing the Big Guy. It was so nice that they just let me watch my CNBC in peace.' Should I ask these ladies reading the latest Britney gossip? Should I just change the channel without asking? I want to watch Ellen! It's possible they don't like Ellen, and Ellen for them is the equivalent of Soaps and Infomercials for me. Oh, dang it. I'll just read this book on Money-Management that I brought. Dang CNBC."

But I digress. Sigh.

So the short answer to the TV question: Friends, Pushing Daisies, Ellen DeGeneres, CSI, Desperate Housewives. :D (But you really appreciated that story, right?! ;) )

I just don't have a simple answer for anything. Does that make me opinionated or interesting? Both? Maybe? Maybe. :)

Update: Pushing Daisies was not a new episode last night. Bummer. :(

Celebrating.

Wow, this is long... but, good story. ;)

Today is the 7-year anniversary of us. :)

We had met when we were 15 (had a BUNCH of classes together... lucky me!), and I liked him RIGHT away. I told my best friend that I wanted to marry him. He was cute and funny and wicked fun! And he just... well, he was glowing... all the time. He walked around school like he was in a bubble. A bubble on top of the world and everything was wonderful. I loved that.

He would stick my pencils up his nose. I would ask him to smell my perfume, and he would lick my hand. He tortured teachers mercilessly (he would fake wetting his pants... poor, Ms. Gozigian)! He was never serious about anything, and I thought he was hilarious. He left our high school at the end of our junior year. We were 16.

Fast forward three years. He moved back to our town. I came home from college due to illness. We started to hang out a lot, and we had SO much fun together. His friends kept telling me that he liked me. I didn't believe them. I didn't care. I was over Jeremy. One night in October, we were playing truth or dare. My turn to choose somebody. I chose Jeremy. He chose "truth." I knew he had never kissed a girl so...

Me: Jeremy, if you could choose *the* girl to be your first kiss, who would you choose? It can be anybody!

Jeremy: Actually, Reyanna, I'd really enjoy kissing you. (He said it very softly and slowly, peered up and smiled.)

Me: *Blush* (Had NO idea that was coming.) Uhhh... okay, thanks. Uhh... err... your turn!

Jeremy: I choose Reyanna!

Me: Uhh... okay. Dare?

Jeremy: Okay! I dare you to kiss me!

Me: (Oh, crap! What have I gotten myself into?!?! Okay, all our friends are here. All our friends are watching. All our friends are thinking, "Holy Crap! Reyanna is about to kiss Jeremy!" Okay, he obviously *wants* me to kiss him. Well, alright, I'll just kiss him... I mean, it's what he *wants*... I should be nice and just, you know... kiss him.) Uhhh... okay. (I lean over slowly and kiss him. He doesn't kiss back.)

So yeah, that was in October. Later that night he pulled me aside and said, "I just wanted to thank you for the kiss. And I just wanted to let you know that I didn't kiss back because I didn't want to be rude. I dared you to kiss me. I didn't think it would be very gentleman-like if I kissed you back." Awww! Sweet! Anywho... okay, so... nothing ensued. We just hung out a lot. He was fun. We had fun. I *still* didn't believe that he liked me.

November 1, 2000, he asked to do laundry at my house. He brought it over... and then left it there. Me, being naive and a complete dork, thought that was an accident. (SOOOOO not an accident.)

So, November 2, 2000, Jeremy calls.

Jeremy: Uhh, hi! I left my laundry at your house!

Me: I know. I noticed. You're dumb. (or something to that effect)

Jeremy: So can I come over and get it?

Me: Yes, of course.

Jeremy: Right now?! Can I come over right now?!

Me: (Strange that he's so excited, but...) Uhh... sure. Yeah. Come over.

So Jeremy arrives and right away says, "Can I talk to you? In you room?" Uhhh... weird. Okay. So I mutter a "yeah, sure," and I walk to my room (as he follows). No sooner did I get in there and he closed the door did he spin around and say, "Do you know how much I like you?!?!"

Me: *shocked* Uhh... no... how much do you like me?

Jeremy: I'm totally stoked on you! You're gorgeous and lively and kind and cool and fun and funny, and you're a tease... but I'm not complaining. And I just think we should be together.”

Me: (Still shocked. How the heck do I reply to that?! Come on. I don't really want a boyfriend. I just got out of that 10-day dating mistake with that stalker guy.) Umm... well, wow, thank you. But I'm not really looking to have a boyfriend.

Jeremy: (Not giving up.) Well, you've had boyfriends before. And you just went out with that stupid guy. (Referring to stalker.) We get along so well, and we'd be so good together.

Me: (Well, he *does* really like me. I guess I can just humor him for a few months, right?! He is pretty cool to hang out with.) Well, I don't know. I do love to hang out with you.

Jeremy: Great then! Okay. Well, I guess I'll go get my laundry.

Me: (Uhh... so are we together now, or what?!)

We both walked out of the room... I'm pretty sure we were both VERY confused about what had just taken place. We hung out the rest of the day, and he kissed me goodbye (on the cheek) when he left that night. Actually, he got all the way out to his friend's car when I saw him RUNNING back up to my door. With a huge smile on his face, he said, "May I kiss you goodbye?!" I turned my face so he could kiss my cheek. We both smiled and he ran and skipped and shouted with glee... all the way back to his friend. Tee hee.

"I REALLY like him," I thought. "Yeah, we're together now."

Oh, Jeremy. Honey, you are adorable. Thank you for being "stoked" on me. The last seven years have been amazing. Here's to 90 more. :D And who knew that humoring you would land me a SUPER-cool husband?! ;)

(Picture taken a few months after we got together. This is a picture of a picture because I couldn't get the scanner to work. I'll post the better one soon.)

Eating.

I took some photos of Tasha, my neighbor (age 14). I can't wait to scrap them. She is just so beautiful!

I was at a loss as to what to make for dinner tonight so I decided to Google some type of casserole with broccoli and pasta. This is what came up, and it was pretty tasty! I took out the chicken (but still used chicken broth), as we eat vegetarian at home (preparing meat/poultry grosses me out). Decided to share. :)

3 oz. cooked penne or small tube shaped noodles (I used macaroni)
Salt and pepper
3 c. steamed, chopped broccoli
2 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 bay leaf
3/4 lb. chicken breast tenders (strips)
Pinch nutmeg
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 c. cottage cheese (I didn't have this so I left it out... tasted great without it.)
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese (I think I put more of this on, and it was good!)

In large bowl put cooked pasta and broccoli. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and flour; cook for 1 minute. Stir in thyme and then slowly whisk in the broth and milk. Add bay leaf, bring to boil, reduce heat and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is barely cooked through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Add to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli along with parsley and stir until mixed. Put casserole into oiled 11 1/2 x 8 inch baking dish. Dot with cottage cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for about 20 minutes until heated through and the top is lightly browned.

Enjoy! :D