Life has been so busy lately, or so it seems. It really hasn't been that busy, but I've been keeping myself busy between movies, books, and video games, haha. It's been really nice letting go and allowing myself to have some fun and relaxation without worrying about what doesn't get done (although the house must still be clean at all times, it drives me nuts if it's messy or dirty).
Last week was dedicated to catching up on movies and such, and this week I have been getting caught up with my reading. I finished Bringing Down the House on Sunday, started Geisha, A Life and finished on Wednesday, and then started and got halfway through Twilight last night. I have a feeling that it will be finished by Saturday night. That's nearly 3 books in one week, which certainly helps make up for my slacker ways the first few weeks of May. ^^
I've also been spending a lot of time lately studying Korean. When I was cleaning through the boxes in my garage a few months ago, I found all my old books and notebooks that I used to study. It brought back a lot of memories and made me realize how much I had learned, but forgotten. I also dug out all my Korean music CDs and have been listening to those lately. The language is coming back a lot faster than I thought it would, and I'm also learning a lot more that I didn't learn before -- I suppose my memorization and comprehension skills have drastically improved since I was in 8th grade, because I feel like learning is coming a lot easier this time. It's also amazing how many more web resources there are for learning... I remember when I began learning (almost 10 years ago, *gasp*) there were hardly any websites out there dedicated to learning the Korean language, and the ones I did find were mostly concerned with learning to read/write in Hangul (the Korean writing system) and just some basic conversational words. The sites I'm able to find now are so much more in depth, and I'm really glad I've been able to find more resources for learning -- it makes it so much easier.
Tonight I am going to the Rockies game (baseball) with the old roommates (Matt, Steve, Brian, Justin), and Kristy is coming too! I think I'm more excited about seeing everyone again than I am about the actual game (actually, I know I am). It should be a really fun night. :D Tomorrow I am going to my sister's place to help set up her wireless, and then we're going to lunch. I think later in the day Matt, Steve, and I might go see Chronicles of Narnia. Hopefully Kristy can come, since her and I went to go see the first one together. We both loved it, and I've heard the new one is already getting great reviews. We'll see! I just need to read the books now, hehe.
Yesterday I was too lazy to go to the gym during lunch, so I went shopping instead. :D I was initially searching for a bag I saw at New York & Company a week or so ago, but they didn't have the one I wanted at this particular store. Since my hunt was soon over, I went into the GameStop next door and browsed their used DS games. They didn't have anything I wanted, but then I saw the Yoshi's Island game and couldn't resist. I absolutely LOVED that game on the NES when I was younger, and have been wanting it for awhile, so I went ahead and got it. I only got to play a few levels last night, but so far I love it. I can already tell I'm going to be obsessed with making sure I get all the coins/flowers/hidden things in each level, haha.
Friday night Matt, Steve, our old roommates, and I are going to the Rockies game. I haven't been to a game since I was probably 10 or 11, so it should be fun! I don't really care that much about baseball, but hanging out with them all again is going to be really fun. I hope I remember to bring my camera this time, because it seems like I've been forgetting it at all the wrong times. Oops!
We also purchased our Vegas tickets for next month. We're going for the Video Games Live concert, but also to have some fun. ;) I can't wait to check out some of the other hotels I didn't get to see on my first trip, as well as go to the wax museum and the M&M factory. It's going to be a blast!
A quick recap of last weekend...
On Friday I got off work at noon because we were so slow, so I went and picked up some Spicy Pickle and met Matt for lunch. We sat outside and ate since it was so nice out, and then after taking him back to work, I ran a few errands. We stayed in that night and watched No Country for Old Men while eating some pizza I picked up. It was a relaxing (and yummy) night.
Saturday I woke up early and did some cleaning and baked a cake for my mom for Mother's Day. Around 11 Matt and I decided to go to the mall, just to get out of the house for a bit. I didn't find anything I needed, so we headed over to Gordon Biersch and shared some garlic fries. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading, napping, and watching movies on TV. I finally finished Bringing Down the House (will do a review soon) and caught up on all my Netflix movies.
Sunday morning I woke up early yet again (Rudy doesn't like it when I sleep in) and finished the cake for my mom. It took awhile to work on all the flowers and frost the different layers, but the end result was worth it. I made her a french vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting, and it was delicious! I wish I had some now... While I was working on the cake, Matt and his dad went to Lowes and bought some planters, soil, and veggies for outside. We only have tomatoes and jalepeno peppers, but it's fun having something to grow. It makes our back porch look so much nicer! I'm glad Matt is in charge of them, though, because I cannot raise plants for the life of me. I've tried several times to grow orchid plants (my favorite flower) but I always end up killing them. :( So sad.
Life has been really good as of late. I've been trying to not let myself get so worked up about whether or not I get things done, and I've been letting myself relax a lot more without letting myself feel guilty. So what if I haven't picked up a book in over a week? I'm already 8 or so weeks behind on my reading for 50 in 365... I know it's not anything I *have* to do, and if I do it, great, if not, oh well. Trying to keep up with 1 book per week has been a little stressful, so I'm just going to let it go. I don't think I'll read 50 books this year, but the fact that I'm trying is probably making me read more than I normally would anyways.
I've also been trying not to stress out over my weekly To Do list. I'm always trying to find ways to make the list as minimal as possible by trying to get things done during lunch or after work, but sometimes, I'm just too tired and/or lazy. I took last Thursday/Friday off of work while Matt was out of town for a friend's graduation, and had all these grand plans for getting things done. I did get a few items checked off the list, but mostly, I had my butt glued to my bed and my hand glued to the TV remote. It was super relaxing sleeping in late, eating junk food, and vegging in front of the TV. I was even able to start watching a few shows I had never seen but have always wanted to watch.... House and 30 Rock. My mom has just recently started watching House and has been bugging me to watch it, so I watched the first 4 discs of the first season, and since I didn't have any more discs to watch, I started watching season one of 30 Rock on Netflix. I'm really enjoying both shows a lot... I have a feeling I'm going to fall even further behind in my reading, haha.
I also managed to watch a few movies... Juno, The Assassination of Jesse James, and The Golden Compass. Steve came down on Wednesday night to watch The Golden Compass with us, since he had just finished reading the book. The movie itself was good, but I think it was easier for Steve and I to watch because we had read the book and understood more of what was going on. They did leave out a lot of parts from the book, and I'm sure the ending was disappointing for a lot of people. I don't know whether or not they will make the next two movies, but if not, then the ending certainly left a lot of things unanswered. Juno was really good - I loved it. The Assassination of Jesse James was okay... it was a little slow to me, even boring in some parts.
On Friday I even went and saw a movie by myself. I really don't mind going alone at all... I think it's fun. I went on Friday afternoon so the theater wasn't crowded at all. I saw "Made of Honor" which was another typical chick flick, but I can't help it, I love watching romantic comedies, even if they are predictable. Plus, I really love Michelle Monaghan... I think she's beautiful.
Overall, it was a really nice mini-vacation, and I definitely wasn't ready to come back to work today. I really wish I still had summer vacations, where I could only work 5-6 hours a day and do whatever for the rest of the day. *sigh* Maybe it's time to think about going back to school... jk!
Gah, I've been away from Vox for so long! Actually, I've been away from all my social websites for a long time. These past two weeks have been unbelievably busy at work, so I haven't had any downtime to get on and blog/comment like I usually do. I also joined a nearby gym and have been going over during my lunch break to work out, so no time during lunch to get on either. By the time I get home, I'm drained, and all I feel like doing is watching movies or reading books (which I've been very busy doing!). But oh well, that is life, and life gets busy. Things are hopefully going to calm down a little at work since the website I was working on for the past few weeks finally went live. So far, so good (meaning, it hasn't broken yet!).
Let's see... to recap what has happened in the last few weeks:
* My sister moved out on her own. I'm very proud of her - she has a full-time job and a new roommate, and I know this was a very big step for her. Things can only get better from here, I hope!
* Matt and I spent last weekend in Fort Collins with Steve. I had a really fun time hanging out at his place and playing Astropop on his Xbox (awesome game!). Being back in FC made me really miss school. I'm having nostalgia pains already.
* Spent $400 on new tires, new brake pads, and an oil change. My car really needed some maintenance so I bit the bullet and got it all done. I hate the fact that I had to spend $400 on this stuff, but love the fact that I can spend $400 and still not be worried about money. I also paid off the loan to my parents in full, so any income from here on out will be a positive income. Yay!
* Dinner with friends... I was able to have dinner with Karina one night, and Kelsey another night. I really miss seeing them both as often as I used to. And congrats to Kelsey for getting into the University of Washington graduate school program. I can't wait to go visit her in Seattle this summer. ^__^
* The Office is back on TV, to my massive pleasure. I absolutely love that show, and could hardly wait until it came back on TV. Last week's episode was excellent, and I'm really looking forward to tonight's.
* Have made plans for some more furniture purchases here in the next month or two. My room will be almost complete!
* Working out at the gym.... it's hard to make myself get there, but once I'm there, I really enjoy myself. I'm certainly not as in shape as I used to be, but it's just something more to work for, right?
That's about all, folks! I'll try to keep this thing more updated (more for me than anyone), now that things are dying down a little at work. Tomorrow is Friday, and I think Matt and I are going to get some sushi for dinner and then just hang out at the house. I love weekends... they're full of sleeping, eating, shopping, and cleaning. :D
Book Count: Ten
Title: The Virgin Suicides
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 256
Synopsis: In an unnamed town in the slightly distant past, detailed in such precise and limpid prose that readers will surely feel that they grew up there, Cecilia - the youngest and most obviously wacky of the luscious Lisbon girls - finally succeeds in taking her own life. As the confused neighbors watch rather helplessly, the remaining sisters become isolated and unhinged, ending it all in a spectacular multiple suicide anticipated from the first page.
Thoughts: I saw this movie a few years back when it came out, and remember being a little confused at some of the plot and scenario. I figured by reading the book I would have some of my questions answered, and I did, but I have to say that seeing a movie before reading the book totally ruins the experience for me. I had preconceived notions of how people and places looked, which somehow made the book feel a bit constricting to me. I don't blame the book at all, which was excellent, even if the story material was a little out of the ordinary. The author manages to take the very serious topic of suicide and analyze it through his characters, and even somehow seems to justify it towards the end. The author shows the pain, the mystery, and sometimes even the curiosity that teenage suicide causes in its aftermath. Having lost someone close to suicide myself, I could understand a lot of the pain and confusion that the characters went through, and the frustration of never beginging to know why or understand why it happened. This book was a fairly quick and short read, and I'm very much looking forward to reading Jeffrey Eugenides other novel, Middlesex.
Book Count: Nine
Title: Water for Elephants
Author: Sara Gruen
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 350
Synopsis: When 23-year-old Jacob Jankowski learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of Cornell veterinary school and parlays his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures. He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the shows' star performers - a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for.
Thoughts: I've been wanting to read this book since I first saw it on the bookshelves, and I finally caved and bought it. I surely wasn't disappointed, as this book was really a joy to read after some of the "slower" books I've been reading. The story itself, even if somewhat predictable, was fantastic, and I loved reading and learning about how circuses were ran in the early 1900's. I've never been to a circus myself, so this book was very exciting for me to read. I loved how the author went back and forth between the 23 year old Jacob and the 93 year old Jacob, because while old age is something none of us can avoid, that didn't affect Jacob's zest and passion for life. It was heartwarming to see that not only did he have a sense of humor about getting old, but that getting old didn't mean it was the end. Overall, a wonderful book -- I would recommend it to anyone!
Book Count: Eight
Title: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Author: Kim Edwards
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 432
Synopsis: On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he seems immediately that she has Down's Syndrome. Rationalizing it at a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split-second decision that will alter all their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and to never reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself.
Thoughts: I thought this book was a little slow. It was a nice story and I did enjoy it, but it just moved too slow for me. The book was divided into different years of the characters' lives, starting in March 1964. Each year showed a snapshot of what was happening... a family vacation, a new job, a marriage... Each new year showed the characters growing and getting older, shifting into a new position in their lives and dealing with the mistakes of the past as best they can. I was hoping to get through this book faster, but I just wasn't interested in reading it when I had down time. Once I did start reading it, it wasn't so bad, but I just couldn't bring myself to want to read it. However, I finally forced myself and finished the second half of the book so that it would be finished before the movie airs on Lifetime next Saturday. The writing style was great, though. Descriptions and feelings were described in so much detail I could imagine everything in my mind without any effort. Overall, it's a good book to read when you have nothing else to do, but not something to read if you want to be greatly entertained.
All of this origami is the product of over 10+ years of folding. I started my freshman year of high school in Spanish class, and it just kept on going from there. I would fold while listening to lectures, while watching movies, while talking on the phone, while driving lost distances in the car, or while waiting in a waiting room. I was initially going to keep everything myself but it became too much, and definitely isn't helping in my goal to become clutter free. Sooooo, I'm selling them all online. I'm not really looking to make much money... the prices mainly cover the cost of the jar and the cost of the paper, with only a slight amount for labor (it was all a labor of love anyways). Please feel free to let me know if you're interested in anything or have any questions ^__^
Okay another break...
Four jobs I have had in my life (not including current):
1. Coldfusion Developer!
2. Web Developer
3. Data Entry Assistant
4. Cashier at Fazolis
Four places I have lived:
1. Fort Collins, CO
2. Denver, CO
3. Knoxville, TN
4. Casper, WY
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Honolulu, HI
2. Las Vegas, NV
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. Dallas, TX
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Margherita pizza from Nick 'N Willy's
2. Potato burritos
3. Sugar cookies & cupcakes (can sweets count as 1 food?)
4. French fries with ranch (all of this is so unhealthy!)
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. In bed with my book or a good movie
2. Traveling to a new place
3. The mall
4. Eating at a good restaurant (which I'm about to do!)
