1. If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be?
Definitely a home in Cape Cod. Dan and I went there on our honeymoon and it was just so darn beautiful, I would love to spend large portions of my summers and falls there!
2. What are your favorite articles of clothing?
Jeans, jeans, jeans. I can’t get enough of them. Oh, and capris, I love capris, can’t wait until its nice enough for me to wear them again. Do shoes count? I’m obsessed with buying cute sandals.
3. The last CD you bought?
Gavin Degraw, “Chariot”.
4. What time do you wake up in the morning?
Around 5:45. Dan gets up at 5:30, lets out the dog, and then puts her on the bed to snuggle me and jump all over my head. Fifteen minutes later I finally drag my butt out of bed and into the shower, where I continue to sleep standing up for another 5 minutes or so.
5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
The blender… yummmm Margaritas.
6. If you could play an instrument, what would it be?
I used to play the piano, so I’d have to say that.
7. What's your favorite color?Pink.
8. Which vehicle do you prefer, sports car, motorcycle, or SUV?
I’d love to have an SUV, but can’t really afford it right now.
9. Do you believe in the afterlife?
I believe in an afterlife in Heaven.
10. Favorite children's book?
Anne of Green Gables is my all-time favorite book, then comes Little Women. I was an avid reader in my childhood, and absolutely adored The Boxcar Children, The Babysitters Club, the American Girl series (Samantha was my favorite), and Sweet Valley High. Goodness… I almost forgot the Judy Blume book! There are just too many to recount, I loved reading.
11. What is your favorite season?
Fall. I love the change of seasons here in Minnesota, and the changing of the leaves in the fall is just awe-inspiring. If also feels like you get a new start in the fall, life always just seems so full of possibilities.
12. If you have a tattoo, what is it?
I regrettably have a lily on the small of my back (just below my waist, above the toosh). Don’t ask.
13. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I don’t know. The power of mind-control, so that I could get retailers to give me all the clothes and shoes and handbags that I want?
14. Can you juggle?
Nope.
15. Someone from your past that you wish you could go back and talk with?
I can’t really think of anyone. Maybe my childhood next-door-neighbor-crush, Trent. I've always wondered what he was up to.
16. What is under your bed?
Dust. And the leaves to our dining room table.
17. What is your favorite day?
Fridays.
18. Sushi or hamburger?
Hamburger. Never had sushi. Would love to try it, but that’s only because I think it’s cool. The thought of it actually really disgusts me, but I wish I could get over that.
19. Of the people who normally read your blog, who is most likely to respond first?
I always hate these questions. So stupid. Who cares?
20. On which blog did you find this meme?
[Sick of] Sucking it In
21. What is your favorite flower?
Tulips!
22. What is your favorite meal?
Turkey and Cheddar sandwich from Winona Sandwich Company.
23. Describe your pjs.
Boxers stolen from Dan and a t-shirt or tank top. I like to be comfortable, not sexy.
24. Favorite Breakfast?
French toast… yummy!
25. Do you like your job?
I like the money.
26. What is your dream job?
Open up my own small business, maybe a Bridal Shop or some sort of Boutique.
27. What age do you plan to retire?
I’ll never be able to retire, I hate saving money.
28. Where did you meet your spouse or significant other?
High School. (No, we were not high school sweet-hearts, we got together a little later in life.)
29. Something you would like to do that you have never done before.
Go to Italy.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
A Loss of Innocence?
There’s something I’ve been thinking about lately that really makes me sad, so I want to talk about it. I’ve been thinking about the world that I will someday bring my children into, and more specifically, I’ve been thinking about how it is such a completely different world than the one I grew up in. My childhood was pure bliss, childish innocence through and through. My favorite memories of growing up involve wreaking havoc on the neighborhood from the moment the sun came up until well into sun down. We rode our bikes all over the neighborhood, down by the creek, up by the rail road tracks, even down the “killer hill”, as we called it. We didn’t stop until our parents called us in for lunch, or dinner, or to force us to shower before bed. We devised highly complicated and ridiculous games, and made up the most unfair teams possible, always in favor of the older kids. We set up lemonade stands at the end of the driveway, and sold friendship bracelets to anyone who would humor us. We ran over to the park and set up games of kickball. In the wintertime we built forts and had enormous snowball fights in the street.
I have absolutely amazing memories from my childhood, my neighborhood was jam packed full of children, and we enjoyed every waking hour during the summer outside, laughing and running and playing like children should do.
But it’s a different world today. Parents don’t send their kids off with a kiss after breakfast to have free reign on the neighborhood. They can’t, there’s so much to fear, so much that could happen. I’m betting most parents these days wouldn’t even let their children leave the yard without parental supervision. I mean, take a look at how much Halloween has changed. My God, we used to go out for hours, walking for blocks and blocks, and scarcely would there be a house without its light on. The neighbors we knew would make us special little goody bags with home-made popcorn balls, and invite us in for some cider. These days, by the time 7:00 rolls around, if you haven’t had any little visitors looking for candy, you probably aren’t getting any! Parents don’t even take their kids out in the dark, it isn’t safe anymore. And home-made treats? That’s a preposterous notion, as they could be laced with drugs or alcohol or be full of needles. Halloween has turned into a trip to the mall or hitting that college dorm, all while it’s still light out. It just makes me so sad. We seriously had like 5 groups of kids come to our door this Halloween, and one or two of those were groups of punk teenagers.
It’s not just the fact that we’re living in a society so focused on distrust and fear of the person next door that saddens me. On top of that, now the stores are filled with ridiculous amounts of toys and video games that completely undermine creativity and imagination and solely provide parents a way to keep their kids at bay. Distractions are what they are, not toys, not games. I’m not judging either, I know how easy it is to pop in a movie or send the kids upstairs to their video games, (I have definitely done my share of babysitting in my days). I just find it amusing that we make all these technological advances which supposedly “better” our society but really, they seem to be taking away the very essence of childhood, which to me is innocence and free and original thought.
I just hope that acknowledging these flaws in today’s society, and even more importantly, remembering what made my childhood so special, will arm me with the strength and courage to do everything in my power to make sure that my children will one day look back on their own childhoods with the same amount of nostalgic happiness as I do.
I have absolutely amazing memories from my childhood, my neighborhood was jam packed full of children, and we enjoyed every waking hour during the summer outside, laughing and running and playing like children should do.
But it’s a different world today. Parents don’t send their kids off with a kiss after breakfast to have free reign on the neighborhood. They can’t, there’s so much to fear, so much that could happen. I’m betting most parents these days wouldn’t even let their children leave the yard without parental supervision. I mean, take a look at how much Halloween has changed. My God, we used to go out for hours, walking for blocks and blocks, and scarcely would there be a house without its light on. The neighbors we knew would make us special little goody bags with home-made popcorn balls, and invite us in for some cider. These days, by the time 7:00 rolls around, if you haven’t had any little visitors looking for candy, you probably aren’t getting any! Parents don’t even take their kids out in the dark, it isn’t safe anymore. And home-made treats? That’s a preposterous notion, as they could be laced with drugs or alcohol or be full of needles. Halloween has turned into a trip to the mall or hitting that college dorm, all while it’s still light out. It just makes me so sad. We seriously had like 5 groups of kids come to our door this Halloween, and one or two of those were groups of punk teenagers.
It’s not just the fact that we’re living in a society so focused on distrust and fear of the person next door that saddens me. On top of that, now the stores are filled with ridiculous amounts of toys and video games that completely undermine creativity and imagination and solely provide parents a way to keep their kids at bay. Distractions are what they are, not toys, not games. I’m not judging either, I know how easy it is to pop in a movie or send the kids upstairs to their video games, (I have definitely done my share of babysitting in my days). I just find it amusing that we make all these technological advances which supposedly “better” our society but really, they seem to be taking away the very essence of childhood, which to me is innocence and free and original thought.
I just hope that acknowledging these flaws in today’s society, and even more importantly, remembering what made my childhood so special, will arm me with the strength and courage to do everything in my power to make sure that my children will one day look back on their own childhoods with the same amount of nostalgic happiness as I do.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
First, an introduction...
I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Bella, the most darling little sheltie puppy you will ever meet!
Just to clarify, this is the picture the breeder sent to us last week when we were contemplating bringing her home. I don't want you to think that I specifically got out my very best velvet purple blanket, put it over a big kennel, and placed my dog on top of it like a little trophy. I'm sure I'm over-explaining this, but I just think it's a weird picture. I have since taken many of my own pictures of the adorable Bella, most of them without a purple velvet blanket. Hopefully I'll be able to share those with you at a later date.
I've spent a good portion of my day here at work thinking about how badly I want to go shopping. The knowledge of all the spring lines being out at my favorite stores and thoughts of the inevitable purchase of a pair of the season's "must-have" sandal wedges have consumed me all day long. I so very badly want to buy something that makes me feel pretty! Arden B has the cutest stuff right now, and it was a bad bad idea for me to check out their website. I think I need this shirt, and this one,...yup, and this one, oh and definitely this one. Hmmm... oh, I am in love with these skirts. Oh sorry, here's one more top, I promise I'll stop now.
So I just booked the flights out to Florida for my friend and old roommate Kate's bachelorette party! I'm so excited for a girl's weekend, I could scream. I miss getting all dolled up and going out with my girls, it's been too too long. And now that we're all scattered all over the city, (and one of us in Florida!) even if we do go out, we're all meeting out at the bar, dragging our husbands/boyfriends along, and missing out on those very important 2 hours before hand of dancing around to Pink's "Like a Pill", trying on countless outfits, scavenging each other's closets for boob shirts and good bras to go with them, and of course pre-bar drinking and pushing countless shots of "Betsy's Specials" on each other. So I'm going to make it my mission that we do all that same stuff when we're in Florida, all staying together at the bride-to-be's house. Too bad there's no Winona Sandwich Company down there, because that would just bring everything together.
Well, I'm off work tomorrow, so it's a nice long weekend. I'm going to have to try to bond with the puppy, because so far she loves Dan far more than she loves me. How did he do that?! I wonder if he's sneaking her goldfish crackers or something, after he specifically told me I was not allowed to feed her them. Hmmm...
Just to clarify, this is the picture the breeder sent to us last week when we were contemplating bringing her home. I don't want you to think that I specifically got out my very best velvet purple blanket, put it over a big kennel, and placed my dog on top of it like a little trophy. I'm sure I'm over-explaining this, but I just think it's a weird picture. I have since taken many of my own pictures of the adorable Bella, most of them without a purple velvet blanket. Hopefully I'll be able to share those with you at a later date.
I've spent a good portion of my day here at work thinking about how badly I want to go shopping. The knowledge of all the spring lines being out at my favorite stores and thoughts of the inevitable purchase of a pair of the season's "must-have" sandal wedges have consumed me all day long. I so very badly want to buy something that makes me feel pretty! Arden B has the cutest stuff right now, and it was a bad bad idea for me to check out their website. I think I need this shirt, and this one,...yup, and this one, oh and definitely this one. Hmmm... oh, I am in love with these skirts. Oh sorry, here's one more top, I promise I'll stop now.
So I just booked the flights out to Florida for my friend and old roommate Kate's bachelorette party! I'm so excited for a girl's weekend, I could scream. I miss getting all dolled up and going out with my girls, it's been too too long. And now that we're all scattered all over the city, (and one of us in Florida!) even if we do go out, we're all meeting out at the bar, dragging our husbands/boyfriends along, and missing out on those very important 2 hours before hand of dancing around to Pink's "Like a Pill", trying on countless outfits, scavenging each other's closets for boob shirts and good bras to go with them, and of course pre-bar drinking and pushing countless shots of "Betsy's Specials" on each other. So I'm going to make it my mission that we do all that same stuff when we're in Florida, all staying together at the bride-to-be's house. Too bad there's no Winona Sandwich Company down there, because that would just bring everything together.
Well, I'm off work tomorrow, so it's a nice long weekend. I'm going to have to try to bond with the puppy, because so far she loves Dan far more than she loves me. How did he do that?! I wonder if he's sneaking her goldfish crackers or something, after he specifically told me I was not allowed to feed her them. Hmmm...
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
I hate my disgusting knees
Do you want to know what my biggest issue has been today? It's completely screwed up my mood, made me want to go home and get in my sweats and escape under the covers where no one can see me, made me wish I hadn't tried to be all cute today with my skirt and black stiletto boots. Here it is. I seriously have the fattest knees ever. They're disgusting. So ugly. Every time I go to the bathroom I can't help but wince when I get a glimpse of them in the full length mirror. I can't believe something so ridiculous has had such an enormous effect on my day, but I literally try to hide them when I'm walking down the hall with whatever piece of paper or folder I am carrying. On the way to the cafeteria, I actually attempted to cover them up with my lunch tray. What's worse is, they look just as bad from the back. They're kind of like cankles, where there's seriously nothing you can do about it. I'm never wearing these boots and this skirt without tights again. Bad idea Alicia. Bad Bad Bad. I think I need to reevaluate what lengths of skirts look good on me. Or else I need to throw out these boots. Argh. I'm going home and putting on some yoga pants right this second.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Girl Power
So yea, there's no way I can catch you up on the last month of blog truancy, so I'll just pretend that it didn't happen. I will ignore the fact that I never blogged about my ridiculously relaxing trip to Vegas, or my very wonderful Valentines day filled with waaaay too much chocolate and champagne, take-out Italian by candlelight, and snuggling up to the greatest husband in the world to watch Under the Tuscan Sun (without any snide remarks for the entire duration of the movie!). A lot has been going on over the past month, including the hospitalizing and later death of a very special family member. But you don't really want to hear about that, and I don't really want to talk about it. So like I said, let's pretend that I wasn't mysteriously absent for an entire month, and just move on to more important matters.
Let's talk about ABC Family movies. Where do these movies come from, why are they made, and why am I so drawn to their horribly predictable plot-lines and cliché characters? I spent a very good portion of my weekend watching these movies, although my husband would say I WASTED a very good portion of my weekend watching these movies. On Saturday I came upon the showing of "See Jane Date" starring the lovely Charisma Carpenter and Holly Marie Combs, two of my most favorite C-list WB actresses. I was so disappointed when I had to leave for the charity Winter Gala I was attending that evening. I can't believe I actually preferred to stay home and sit on my ass watching a low-quality made-for-TV movie over going to a party all about getting dressed up, tasting wine (if you can call drinking more than 6 half-full glasses of wine "tasting") and having a blast bidding on things you don't even really want. But I'm an honest girl, and I'm telling you that that is honestly what I wanted to do.
"See Jane Date" was all about a girl living in New York, of course, in a fabulous apartment, of course, working as an assistant editor for some publishing company, of course, (their jobs are always that glamorous aren't they?), who goes on a zillion dates in the hopes of finding a date to her cousin's wedding (in which she is a bridesmaid). It was absolutely enthralling! I couldn't tear myself away from it! Even though the premise was predictable and the dialogue laughable, I was rooting for Cordelia...oops I mean Jane... the whole way through. This was especially true when she was finally standing up for herself to the crazy bridezilla and mother of the bridezilla because as you may know, I am very sensitive to the unjust persecution of others courtesy of a power-tripping bride.
I watched "Celeste in the City" on Sunday night as a sort of appetizer leading up to the main course of the evening, the snooze-fest we call the Academy Awards. Anyways, yet again, I was thrown into another New York City career girl story. Though included this time was a gay best-friend/cousin, a fabulous makeover a-la Queer Eye, and the main character falling for, of course, the wrong guy, but finally ending up with the cute next-door neighbor friend in the end. It had all the makings of a perfect way to spend two hours of couch-lounging. Though I must admit, this time I got a little annoyed with how over-the-top the gay best-friend/cousin (played by yet another WB star, Xander from Buffy) and his posse of make-over friends were, and it was painfully obvious that this guy she was falling for at work was a complete and utter tool. Whatever... I don't care. I loved every second of it.
So even though I am incredibly embarrassed to be admitting that I watch ABC family movies to all of internet-land (who am I kidding, no one is reading this anymore), I just must know if there are others out there like me who enjoy a good "You go girl!" cheesy, low-rate romantic comedy once in a while. I recently found a kindred spirit in my friend Angela, but I'm wondering if there are enough of us to start some sort of club or something. We could all get together and wear boas and eat chocolate and popcorn and make ourselves fat laying around for hours upon hours getting in as much bad television as possible. Maybe we could all take a trip to the city together and prance around in cute outfits and do the girl-power, arms out wide, smiling up at the sky, hair blowing in the wind spin like Mary Tyler Moore so memorably did.
Oh, and as a word of caution, if you are flipping channels one night and find yourself upon the ABC Family movie called "She Gets What She Wants", starring Piper Perabo and a whole bunch of no-names, please, for the love of god, keep on flipping. I'm telling you, it's two hours of my life I will never have back. It was devastatingly horrible and I have no idea why I continued to watch it after the first 10 minutes. I must be a glutton for punishment, or maybe I just had to see for myself so that I could make it my mission in life to warn others of it. I don't know, either way, you have been warned.
Let's talk about ABC Family movies. Where do these movies come from, why are they made, and why am I so drawn to their horribly predictable plot-lines and cliché characters? I spent a very good portion of my weekend watching these movies, although my husband would say I WASTED a very good portion of my weekend watching these movies. On Saturday I came upon the showing of "See Jane Date" starring the lovely Charisma Carpenter and Holly Marie Combs, two of my most favorite C-list WB actresses. I was so disappointed when I had to leave for the charity Winter Gala I was attending that evening. I can't believe I actually preferred to stay home and sit on my ass watching a low-quality made-for-TV movie over going to a party all about getting dressed up, tasting wine (if you can call drinking more than 6 half-full glasses of wine "tasting") and having a blast bidding on things you don't even really want. But I'm an honest girl, and I'm telling you that that is honestly what I wanted to do.
"See Jane Date" was all about a girl living in New York, of course, in a fabulous apartment, of course, working as an assistant editor for some publishing company, of course, (their jobs are always that glamorous aren't they?), who goes on a zillion dates in the hopes of finding a date to her cousin's wedding (in which she is a bridesmaid). It was absolutely enthralling! I couldn't tear myself away from it! Even though the premise was predictable and the dialogue laughable, I was rooting for Cordelia...oops I mean Jane... the whole way through. This was especially true when she was finally standing up for herself to the crazy bridezilla and mother of the bridezilla because as you may know, I am very sensitive to the unjust persecution of others courtesy of a power-tripping bride.
I watched "Celeste in the City" on Sunday night as a sort of appetizer leading up to the main course of the evening, the snooze-fest we call the Academy Awards. Anyways, yet again, I was thrown into another New York City career girl story. Though included this time was a gay best-friend/cousin, a fabulous makeover a-la Queer Eye, and the main character falling for, of course, the wrong guy, but finally ending up with the cute next-door neighbor friend in the end. It had all the makings of a perfect way to spend two hours of couch-lounging. Though I must admit, this time I got a little annoyed with how over-the-top the gay best-friend/cousin (played by yet another WB star, Xander from Buffy) and his posse of make-over friends were, and it was painfully obvious that this guy she was falling for at work was a complete and utter tool. Whatever... I don't care. I loved every second of it.
So even though I am incredibly embarrassed to be admitting that I watch ABC family movies to all of internet-land (who am I kidding, no one is reading this anymore), I just must know if there are others out there like me who enjoy a good "You go girl!" cheesy, low-rate romantic comedy once in a while. I recently found a kindred spirit in my friend Angela, but I'm wondering if there are enough of us to start some sort of club or something. We could all get together and wear boas and eat chocolate and popcorn and make ourselves fat laying around for hours upon hours getting in as much bad television as possible. Maybe we could all take a trip to the city together and prance around in cute outfits and do the girl-power, arms out wide, smiling up at the sky, hair blowing in the wind spin like Mary Tyler Moore so memorably did.
Oh, and as a word of caution, if you are flipping channels one night and find yourself upon the ABC Family movie called "She Gets What She Wants", starring Piper Perabo and a whole bunch of no-names, please, for the love of god, keep on flipping. I'm telling you, it's two hours of my life I will never have back. It was devastatingly horrible and I have no idea why I continued to watch it after the first 10 minutes. I must be a glutton for punishment, or maybe I just had to see for myself so that I could make it my mission in life to warn others of it. I don't know, either way, you have been warned.