Sentimental Movies

I saw Benjamin Button when it was in the theatres but I watched it again the other day and something he said just hit me. "You can be madder than a mad dog, but in the end you just have to let go."

It's time.

Los Gemelos

Last Monday my brother's girlfriend had twins! A beautiful baby girl and boy. They are the first grandchildren in my family. We are all very excited. 99% of the time I am pretty happy that I live in Colorado, but right now I would really like to meet my niece and nephew.


I have no clue which one is which, I know the girl is a bit bigger, and at the time these pictures were take the boy was a bit red.

II

Two major wins this week. I found out I was accepted to the CU Denver College of Nursing. A major sigh of relief. I had about 8 schools I was planning on applying to, at least one a month for the next several months. All of which, are highly competitive. I really had the feeling that I might be applying for schools for some time. I didn't get in the first round at CU and was really devistated. I really don't want to move and CU is my only choice. After I was rejected the first time I found out that they had received a lot more applications than they had in the past, putting their acceptance rate at 15%. I have never been competitive and never really cared if I got a C in Chemistry, a field I never thought would affect me. Fastforward 5 years and I am calculating my GPA... But, it's all over (till grad school). I hadn't even realized how depressed I was, till I wasn't. I am so excited, happy, anxious, etc. Happy to be moving on with my life, I have felt like I have been in a static position for such a long time and now I am on my way!

Second piece of good news, I was offered a position at a local web development company doing their office management, AR, etc. They called it an executive assistant position. I am really excited, my boss seems really cool. They seem to be very flexible. I am going in tomorrow to meet with them and will start next week.

In two weeks I will be running my second half marathon. The same weekend my big brother will be moving to Denver. The weekend after is may 3rd annual Pumkin Carving Party and Contest. I am loving life right now. Fall is just starting to roll in. The leaves are dropping bit by bit and soon the trees will be bare. Soon I will have to put away my bike but pull out my stockings. I love the change of seasons. I know there are no surprises but I love to see what each season brings. Last year a lot of people left their pumpkins. It snowed the during the week and on Halloween it was beautiful.
This pic os from last year. This year I think I decided on the Bride of Frankenstein and Jerome is going to be Waldo from Where's Waldo. Should be fun.

Another tally for the L column

I am pretty emotional normally but yesterday I was a complete wreck for a minute. My husband went to China this summer for study abroad. I really, really wanted and have wanted a jade braclet. So, of course he was on a mission to find one. He got really into haggeling with the street vendors and eventually found this amaingly beautiful bracelet for me and haggled for quite some time while the man demonstrated its quality by cutting glass, etc. But the long and short of the story is that I was at my school gym and I had placed it in the bottom of my locker and when I came back from my shower and pulled out something it fell out and onto the floor, shattering in little pieces. I had wondered if it was fragile, unfortunately I found out it is. So my beautiful jade bracelet that I loved is gone. I was so devistated, I cried in the locker room, I went to class where I continued to sit in silence and cry. It sounds so stupid but I am crying now. I guess I know that I can replace it. My husband really enjoyed China and I am sure he will be back but it just sucks. I am pretty clumsy and it makes me feel like a child, like I shouldn't be allowed to have nice things, because I break them. I know we all break things some times I just wish it could have been something less important, something I didn't love so much.

I know it shouldn't feel like it, but it feels like a major loss. I just seriously need a win.

Current and highly recommended reads...

I recently read Push by Sapphire. She spoke last year at our school, and I had been wanting to read this book for a long time. If you have seen the movie you can imagine that it was a pretty difficult read, emotionally, not technically. The book was written from Precious's perspective, much like the movie. I usually don't like to watch movies based on books before I have read the book but in this case I just hadn't had a chance to read the book and really wanted to see the movie. And, Sapphire had given the movie a great endorsement. She had been approached about making a movie years earlier but didn't because she did not agree with the way the script was written, her level of involvement, etc. The movie followed the book pretty closely. I thought the book and movie were pretty great.


Push made a lot of references to The Color Purple, which of course I did not get because I have not read The Color Purple. So, I just had to go out and read it. I am so glad I did. It is such an amazing, beautifully written book. It is written in the same style as Push, hence all the references.

I am not good with rejection.

I never thought finding a job would be this hard. It sucks when you think you've found your dream job but your potential employer disagrees....

Thoughts about 9/11/2010

I saw a bit of coverage on the news yesterday while at the gym and I think it is unbelievable that so many Americans came out to protest the "Ground Zero Mosque instead of going to NYC to pray, remember those loved and lost, or mourn, etc. I am so sad at this time in America - it seems that it is becoming more acceptable to be unaccepting, unloving, racist. Why are these extremist getting coverage (I know here I am writing about it) but this wackjob in FL. WTF?! Even seemingly normal politicians or people saying, "even though they have the right, it doesn't mean it is the right thing to do..." I'm sorry, but this is a religious organization that is not affiliated with the people who attacked us. I can't imagine how painful it must be to be a Muslim. After 9 years the fear and hatred against Muslims continues to grow.

After 9/11 we saw the world come together in support of America, we saw Americans supporting each other. It was an amazing time. It sucks that this same event, that changed all of our lives, has the power to do just the opposite. Sad.


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Jan Brewer

While traveling from New Mexico to Arizona via I-40 one of the first things I saw after entering AZ was this image on a billboard. It seriously made my blood fucking boil. It is so not cool to use a classic image, an image that has long been associated with the feminist movement. And then to change "Rosie" and make her blond, is totally despicable. With the racial tension in AZ I have to assume that they took the image and intentionally made it look more European. I may be wrong but I don't think I am.


For a long time now I have been really impressed with the image of "Rosie the Riveter". To me it symbolizes our country's need for women in the workplace and our ability to show the would what we could do, despite being told that we weren't able. Below I found this image of a "real Rosie", I think it is really cool and wanted to share.


In conclusion, FUCK JAN BREWER! I hope that she loses the campaign, though I don't think she will. I grew up in AZ and it makes me incredible sad to learn how racist of a state it actually is. I am glad I don't live there.

Halloween

So, for the past couple years halloween has been a pretty big deal. I don't know what I want to be this year. My top contenders are:

Jeannie from I dream of Jeannie. I had hoped that this would be a couple's costume and that my husband would be the captain, which I kept calling the colonel, and now he insists that he is going be the conlonel, as in Sanders...And I am not sure that I really want to do a midrift baring costume... eek!
Spock, who I fell in love with after seeing the new movie. Sorry, I am too young to have enjoyed the original ones.

Glenda the Good Witch, the costume would be intense but awesome if I could get it done.

Annie, this would be fun but I might be asked to sing... err... and nobody wants that to happen.


I was so happy the other day when I left my house and it just felt like fall was coming, and indeed it is. I have already started thinking about my annual pumpkin carving party and what design I will select for my pumpkin. So exciting. Can't wait!

I love it when...

I love it when famous people use their popularity for good. Wyclef Jean is going to run for president in his home country of Haiti.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean will announce his bid for president of earthquake-ravaged Haiti this week, Time magazine has reported.

Haiti, which was hit January 12 by a deadly 7.0-magnitude earthquake, is scheduled to vote on November 28 to elect a new leader to replace President Rene Preval, whose term ends in February.

"If I can't take five years out to serve my country as President, then everything I've been singing about, like equal rights, doesn't mean anything," Jean said in an interview with Time on Tuesday.

There has been widespread speculation that Jean would seek the office. Last week in Haiti he said he was taking the necessary legal steps toward running for president, including having his fingerprints taken by the judicial police. However, he said last week that he had not made a definite decision.

Many analysts predict Jean -- who at 37 is very popular among Haitians, particularly the young -- would easily win the presidential election.

A three-time Grammy award-winner, Jean was a founding member of the hip-hop trio The Fugees and won wider fame for his collaboration with Colombian pop star Shakira. He released a song two years ago called "If I Was President."

Jean established the Yele Haiti Foundation in 2005 to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Haiti. He said after the January 12 earthquake which killed up to 300,000 people that Haiti's future rested on education, job creation and investment.

"If not for the earthquake, I probably would have waited another 10 years before doing this," Jean told Time. "The quake drove home to me that Haiti can't wait another 10 years for us to bring it into the 21st century."

Jean emigrated to the United States aged 9, but has maintained his Haitian citizenship, a requirement for running for the presidency.

From ABC News Entertainment

Arizonan Against SB 1070

Nothing pleases my heart more than seeing standing up for what they believe in. These photos are from the Phoenix New Times.

Look closely at this woman's dress - this is a true fashion statement.
I love this picture.


Unfortunately, some protesters were arrested today for practicing their first ammendment right. So sad, when officers in riot gear are patting down a 50 year old woman wearing a bright yellow shirt with a heart on it. I guess she was making trouble. Law and order are not the same thing, remember that.

Today was a small win in defeating SB 1070. The Phoenix Times called it bloodied but still standing.

To everyone out there today, and to everyone fighting against this awful piece of legislation, I applaud your efforts and say ¡Si se puede!

Law & Order

Not that I have any interest in being an actor but I would love to play the person that discovers the body... I would be awesome.

Kicking Asphalt

I know I have talked about running in the past but I found this really awesome female running image on the Nike website and wanted to share. It is the off season for me and I have been averaging about 25 miles a week. I try to do most of my miles outdoors when the weather permits. Colorado has pretty decent winters but the trail I run most often gets really muddy after it snows. I am planning on doing my first Marathon this year. 26.2 miles still freaks me out but I know I'll get there. My husband started running with me recently. It makes me very happy, I am increasingly worried about his health. Grad school has been rough on him. We are running our first race together this Sunday. It is a St. Patty's day fun run. It is 7K and followed by free beer and music. It was voted the best run after party in Denver last year. I am pretty excited.

Let it Mellow

My hubby and I were at a fancy restaurant a while back and there was this sign in the restroom that talked about the water savings when you use dual flush toilet, I can't remember what it was but it was high, I want to say 60%. So because, we just installed a dual flush toilet in out new bathroom I mention it to my husband and we start figuring out how often people go small flush v. big flush, etc. So, yes, it is a big savings. Then my husband says, "imagine the savings when you let it mellow." It was pretty funny.

It's been a while

I just found out I am going to be an aunt. I adore my brother and I don't want to say anything bad, but I will say that he is perhaps not the most prepared parent, but I am so happy for him. He is such a great guy and he is so good with children. I know he will be a great dad. I am so excited for him. I have not met his girlfriend but I am sure I will soon. This is a weird picture without explanation - but this is the only electronic pic I have of my brothers and I, on this computer, sad, I know. My brother with a baby on the ways is on the right, Ryan, next to him is my oldest brother Jordan, and my hubby is on the left.