Blogg wars, tags... watch out I've just discovered them!

So, I've just discovered that there is something fun like blog wars and blog taggs', and though I've neither been "attacked" or tagged... I just thought it sounded so fun, plus it's given me something to write about!

So here goes, and all my friends, to you I say, watch out!!!!! :)

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago: I was serving a mission, this very time ten years ago my depression bloomed, so I was probably sitting in my apartement bawling my eyes out. On a happy note I was in Stavanger, Norway, and I had a great "district" of Elders... and my companion was Sister Noelle Blanc.

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Fold laundry
2. Put away the laundry I have folded!
3. Write three emails, and on my blog.
4. Make plans for next week, including back-up plans if something goes awry.
5. Snuggle with LuLu (the cat)

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Brownies
2. Layes Potato Chips w/Cheddar Cheese
3. Chocolate chip cookies (the ones from Costco)
4. Chips and salsa
5. Dove's Dark Chocolates

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
Pay off my debts. Give my friend Emily a day at the Nail Salon and my friend Heidi a day at the Spa! And find a place to live!

5 places I have lived:
1. Bergen, Norway
2. San Jose, California
3. Provo, Utah
4. Seattle, Washington
5. Stavanger, Norway

5 jobs that I have had:
1. My very first job was to stroll a neighbours' baby around my neighbourhood for an hour or two, three times a week. Guess that's where it all started!
2. Gardener's Crew at the Provo Temple, (Utah), that was actually a very fun job!
3. Grocery Checker at ICA in Stavanger, Norway
4. Substitute Teacher at the International School of Stavanger, Norway.
5. Nanny/Au-Pair in California, Seattle and Utah

5 Things people don't know about me:
Hmmmm.
1. Exactly HOW nerdy I can be?!?!
2. I had a crooked spine as a child and when I learned to walk and run, I ran sideways, like a crab...
3. I talk and walk in my sleep....
4. I am actually kinda shy. (I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!)
5. My pretty extensive knowledge of alcoholic beverages.

Ok, I tag Tamsin, Erin and Julie Donaldson! You're it!

Getting to know you....

Inspired by my dear cousin, I am posting this for those who want to get to know me! :)

Directions: Place an X by all the things you've done,or remove the X from the ones you have not. This is foryour entire life thus far:
(x) Crashed a friend's car...
( ) Stolen a car
( ) Been in love with a someone in a cowboy hat! (if Garth Brooks counts I am guilty!)
(X) Been dumped
(x) Been fired
(X) Snuck out of your parent's house (my fathers', my cusin and I, we were 13 I think...)
(X) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back

( ) Been arrested
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Lied to a friend (No I am not going to tell you who!)
(X) Skipped school
( ) Seen someone die
( ) Been to Canada.....
( ) Been to Mexico

(X) Been on a plane
( ) Purposely set a part of yourself onfire...........
(X) Eaten sushi.
(X) Been water skiing
(X) Been snow skiing
(X ) Met someone from the internet---

(X) Gone to a concert
(X) Taken pain-killers (Not the serious ones!)
(X) Love someone or miss someone right now
(X) Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(X) Made a snow angel
(X) Had a tea party

(X) Flown a kite
(X) Built a sand castle
(X) Gone puddle jumping
(X) Played dress up
(X) Jumped into a pile of leaves
(X) Gone sledding

(X) Cheated while playing a game
(X) Been lonely
(X) Fallen asleep at work/school
( ) Used a fake ID
(X) Watched the sun set

(X) Felt an earthquake
(X) Slept beneath the stars
(X) Been tickled
( ) Been robbed/mugged
(X) Been misunderstood

(X) Petted a reindeer/deer/goat/kangaroo ORjackalope....JUST A GOAT
(X) Won a contest
(X) Run a red light/stop sign. (it was a stop sign...not a proud moment!)
( ) Been suspended from school
(X) Been in a car crash?

( ) Had braces
(X) Felt like an outcast/third person
(X) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(X) Had deja vu
( ) Danced in the moonlight

(X) Liked the way you looked
( ) Witnessed a crime
(X) Questioned your heart
( ) Been obsessed with post-it notes
(X) Squished mud through your bare feet

(X) Been lost....
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country (Does Chicago O'Hare Intl. Airport count?)
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Felt like dying maybe from embarrassment!
(X) Cried yourself to sleep

( ) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with only coins
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't

(X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose...
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus

( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe.
(X) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
(x ) Made a bonfire on the beach.
(X) Crashed a party-

(X) Gone roller-skating
(X) Had a wish come true
( ) Jumped off a bridge to swim.

Austenpalooza

So, waiting for many many months now, half agony half hope, the time did now come... Did I prepare properly? Did I raise or lower my expectations according to the reviews I'd read on directors, actors and writers? Would I EVER be satisfied??

This was bigger than christmas, bigger than any promotion, or graduation, the wait has been sooo long, and yet, it seemed only like yesterday I was rejoicing in the news of the makings of an "Austen Season".

I had my hopes very high. The British have always, I thought, been good at preserving their own, and surely, Miss Jane Austen is as sacred as they come... But then, I had to remind myself, I am a Purist. In the very essence of the word. And like so many, I have my particular favorites, and opinions....

Persuasion - possibly my most favored book... possibly the "heroine"(Anne) I identify with the most, and the 1995 movie version (starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds) is the equivalent of perfection, in my mind.....

So why is it that we humans feel this indescribable need to mess with perfection????

The nicest thing I can say about the re-make, provided by Masterpiece Theatre is that Rupert Penry-Jones is very handsome, but NOT handsome enough to tempt me!! He did do a good job. But he's THE ONLY thing I found worth my time.... and that just isn't enough!

They butchered all my favorite scenes, the characters were just not enough of their characters to make me believe in them, and, again, why mess with perfection?

So, as I brush all my dissapointment aside, I straighten my back and square my shoulders in anticipation of the next showing, which is a version of the only book of Jane's that I had a hard time with, and no strong feelings to speak of...
BRING IT ON!

Elections 2008

So I was taking this test, for fun, to see which candidate in the 2008 elections I "should" support, and well.... though the result was a bit surprising, what really bothered me was the questions asked.... There are just some things I don't think the government should not decide or regulate on such a high level. I think it should be made down, closer to the people on a state level. There are many things where there are areas that are so gray and many different ways of looking at issues.

So here is my Political Compass-ness ;)
The Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: -4.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.36
(Apparantly this is close to someone named Ralph Nader... for those who care...)

And if you want to measure your own whatever-ness.... here are a link or two of some pages I think were pretty good.
http://www.onlytheissues.com/politics.cgi?page=test and
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/libvsconserv.htm
Gave me a bit of a brain-itch, but hey that might not be such a bad thing!! :)

And lastly the shocking result:

Who should I vote for for president in 2008? (If I could, that is....)

DELAWARE SEN. Joseph Biden (D)85.00% Match

Other Top Matches:

Senator John Edwards (D) 80%

Senator Mike Gravel (D)

Senator Barack Obama (D)

spoiled-ness

So there is this little girl I know about.... generally sweet, but one not so endearing quality.
Unfortunately she is spoiled to the point of ruin.
The only way she will be left with her babysitter, is if her parents promise her gifts/toys when they get back, and it is the first thing she asks for when they get home. When going to the Groc. Store, she is only interested in being nice if she has a new toy first, and even then it doesn't really last. Now granted, for the most part the toys/gifts she gets are in-expensive, but it has gotten so bad, she doesn't take care of anything, she has no care for the value of what she has, and shows little, if any, gratitude...

I am abhorred sometimes, at the way she treats her parents and even their friends. Unfortunatley the real tragedy in all this is that the parents don't seem to care that this child is growing up in this unflattering manner. In fact I don't think they even know that they have created this little "monster" at their own expense. But that will come back and "bite" them, I am sure. And the other sad thing is that this will hurt this girl as well. But then who knows, maybe by some miracle she will grow up to be a nice young lady despite her unfortunate upbringing.

A Good Book....

I love books..... I really do.... the best thing in the world is to curl up in a good chair with a wonderful book..... And just as good.... a FANTASTIC adaptation of such book.... Like the latest version of Jane Eyre....

There have been many various versions of JANE EYRE, such as:
(1983)
Considered to be among the best versions of this famous story. (NOT BY ME MIND YOU!!!)
Cast: Timothy Dalton, Zelah Clarke, Judy Cornwell, Robert James
Director: Julian Amyes

(1996)
Cast: William Hurt, Joan Plowright, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anna Paquin, Elle Macpherson
Director: Franco Zeffirelli

(1997)
Cast: Samantha Morton, Gemma Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Rupert Penry-Jones, Laura Harling, Deborah Findlay
Director: Robert Young

And there are some others, US versions, which I shall not even bother commenting on, as they don't deserve my attention.

But this latest one, with Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens (Masterpiece Theatre 2007) is my absolute favorite. I feel it brings the spirit of the story Charlotte Brontë wanted us to have though it might differ slightly in some places from the text. (Yes, much of Jane's past is missing, but what is there is captivating) It's heart-warming, passionate (All those kissing scenes..... let's be honest here... who wouldn't want to be kissed like that.... by Mr. Rochester...), suspenseful, full of beautiful scenery and costuming; all in all, a whole 4 hours of excellent entertainment. Just as curling up in that nice chair with the book....

A New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR my friends!!! Hope it will bring you peace and joy.
Myself... I'm going for just anything positive ;)

So I'm still here in Salt Lake, still waiting for the JERK to pay me (I am preparing to take him to court!!), still looking for nannying jobs, still waiting for my visa, still... well a lot of things... but to focus on the positive since it is the early beginnings of a new year, I did join a gym, and I have a friend to go with, so we will "preassure" each other to do just that! :)