Currently Capitol Collectors Series By Gene Vincent "Be-Bop-a-Lula" see related

Time for a little life update.  Things are going pretty well, overall.  I'm cold at the moment, which is a new experience for me here at work.  You see, in the past I have worked with ladies whom I affectionately called frizz-asses.  Those ladies are pretty much gone now, and when one of them left I asked to be moved to her cube for a myriad of reasons, one of them being that in the winter she gets a weird, very cold draft in her cube. Ok.  Now that I am experiencing my first winter weather over here, I am like "whooo!!" Pretty cold!  I think I may actually bust out the turtleneck sweaters that I haven't worn in years.

I had a really nice weekend. Friday night Dad and I went to see the new James Bond movie. Dad heard some bad reviews of it, and all I have to say is, I don't know what movie those critics were watching, because I thought it was great! I watched "Casino Royale" yesterday to refresh my memory on some of the storyline from that that bleeds into the new flick. Saturday I got my hair done, which is always fun.  It snowed like the whole time I was there.  Crazy, Christmassy snow!  I know I complain about winter weather, but it's that glorious time of the year where it just looks pretty and doesn't really stick to the road.  Now, I am all about that! I'm already listening to Christmas music, so I had a ball with that on the drive home.  Then we got to watch my niece while Bret and Shelly were at Steph and Jim's wedding.  Ry is so much fun! She loves to play the piano, and she really likes my guitar too.  Her new thing is giving out fives.  Not high fives, but just regular old "gimme five". So cute!  She is just delightful, and I love spending time with her, period.  Yesterday there was a bit of drama with Dad's car, but it was peppered with family time, so it was ok.  While I enjoyed the family time this weekend, I am looking forward to some friend time this coming weekend.

Hmmmm.....can't think of much more.  Cept that it's snowing again, and I am getting stoked for Christmas season to be here!

Currently Listening Anthology 2 By The Beatles "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" see related

Ok, so I am a loser and haven't updated in almost a month.  Sorry, peeps.  But, I am back from England and it was fabulous!  I want to move to Liverpool. Who's with me?  Seriously, my Dad liked it better than London.  That is proof positive that anyone, Beatles fan or not, will fall in love with that city.  I might do a little England diary for every day like last time, but I can't start it yet since my journal is at home, and alas, I am on my lunch hour at work.  Just know that it was great.  I'll hopefully post pics sometime as well.

For now, I am on a serious Beatles kick.  Shocking.  Check out this pic of Paulie that I found:

Wowwie wow wow woowa! I am not much of a fan at all with him with a beard, but this is amazing.  The man has the most attractive profile ever! Perfect nose! Oh, he's just so pretty!  This has actually given me motivation to write in the Story.  We're at Let it Be right now, and that's what this picture is from.  I got so far as to get the tablet out, along with one of my new nifty Liverpool pens, but I have a nasty cold, so that's as far as it went.  But I have written, and will get it and get it you, Annie.  Never fear!

Today is Halloween dress up day at work.  I wasn't going to dress up, but at the last minute decided to try and find a costume for a Mod 1960s look.  I joked that I feel just like Pattie Boyd minus the whole leggy, blonde, gorgeous, model, wife of a Beatle bit.  Well, I come into work with my Mod look, including headband, tights, super high heels, mini dress, crazy 60s looking bracelet, cat eyes with the eyeliner, and everyone's just like "is that a costume? you look really nice".  Darn it all! Yes it's a costume!  Ah well.

Currently Listening Super Hits By The Byrds "Eight Miles High" see related

"Eight Miles High" is a fun song.  Super trippy and laid back.  I don't listen to it a ton, but it's a good 'en.  And it reminds me that I am always bothered when I go to the Rock Hall by the fact that they chose "Mr. Tambourine Man" for them on the video.  It totally should have been "Turn, Turn, Turn".  Whatever.  I still love watchin the footage and feeling slightly weirded out by how attractive David Crosby was back in the day.

I had a fun weekend!  Mom and I went to Homecoming at Allen East.  The game itself was not so great (we got a little slammed), but I still had a pretty good time.  And then on Saturday we got to watch Ryleigh all day!  Of course that was a lot of fun.  We went to the grocery, watched the O State game, and just played around with her.  She's such a cutie.  I'm hoping I get to hang out with her again this weekend.  Sunday I went to church and then later in the day got to hang out with Amanda and Abbey.  It's been way too long since I've got to hang out with them, so that was great.  Other than that, not much is new.  I feel like I'm really biding my time until the end of next week when we leave for England.  I will probably soon start making my list of what I need to pack, and I suspect next week at this time I will have already started on the packing.  It still doesn't feel quite real to me, but yea.  I am so ready for a vacation!

Hope everyone has a nice week!

Currently Listening Anthology 2 By The Beatles "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" see related

It's been a little while since I updated, so I thought "why the heck not"? Life is pretty un-exciting for me right now, I suppose. I do pretty much the same thing every day.  But....in two weeks and 4 days my dad and I are leaving for England!

I was telling Amanda yesterday that I am mostly excited and a little nervous.  She asked me why and I was telling her I think it's mostly because the last time I went we were kind of sharing the responsibility for the trip between the 3 of us (you know, like we'd help each other with how to get where we're going, etc.), but this time my Dad has never been there, and I have.  I've done basically all of the prep for the trip, I'm experienced with where we're going...I dunno.  It's just making me a little nervous. My Dad always has a million questions about everything, so I just think it'll be interesting.  I think sometimes the older people get, the more they are prone to not wanting to take on new adventures and therefore aren't quite as open to the experience (so I think he'll just want me to do everything for him/ figure everything out for him).  Who knows?  Maybe I'm just making this up in my head.

I can't believe it's only a couple of weeks away.  It very honestly does not feel real to me, despite the fact that I have the 2 London passes sitting on the edge of my desk at home, and that I have a tablet with a tentative itinerary, and a folder with print outs for plane, train and hotel info, tickets to John's and Paul's Liverpool homes, and various other important documents all ready to go.  Only a couple of more odds and ends to nail down:  our flight from London back to Detroit is psycho early that the Tube won't be open yet when we have to leave for the airport.  I've looked into a few options, and I think we are going to go with a service that can pick us up at our hotel and take us to Heathrow.  And I also need to purchase my travel health insurance.  Oh, and I need to get just a couple more things: a couple of extra memory cards for my camera and some batteries, along with some items that Chele is graciously going to allow me to borrow.  But that's it!  I suspect before too long I will be making my freakishly detailed packing list (the last time we went, I was so crazy I made categories with items beneath them).

Alright...enough England chat.  I had a nice weekend.  On Friday I hung out with Chele, and we basically did nothing, which was nice.  We tend to have a lot of fun doing nothing.  Saturday I ran to the grocery, watched the Buckeyes (we don't looks so hot this year....sadness), and just generally got a few things organized.  I also did a little writing in the Story (I'm sorry I've been so negligent in writing, Annie!  I really will try to get more done so I can get it to you asap)...fun times!  Yesterday I went to church, and them Mom, Cindy and I went to the Indian Lake craft show.  I had never been before, and I thought it was pretty nice.  I was mocked because I always buy fancy soaps at craft shows and nothing else, and I of course stuck to tradition with doing that yesterday.  Cindy was mocked because as usual, Mom bought her birthday present over 2 and a half months before her birthday. Then we had El Azteca in Wapak for lunch, and then went over to Delphos to hang out with Bret, Shelly, Jason and Ryleigh.  Ryleigh is freaking adorable, and I love spending time with her!  The Browns lost, and it was ugly, so that made everyone not happy for a while, but we got over it and still had fun.  And now here we are with another week starting.  I think I'll be going to Homecoming this weekend, since I heard Chase and Tyler will be escorts.... cool for them, and it makes me proud, but really makes me feel old!  Anyway...everyone have a nice first week of fall (booooo).

Currently Listening Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Enter Lord Vader" see related

What up, what up?  I don't update nearly as often as I used to.  And I have to say it again: Facebook is great, but man, xanga was the original for so many of me and my friends!  I miss that not many update on there anymore. 

Life is still super stressful at work, and actually a ton worse than the last time I said it was super stressful.  I can't say much about that except to sincerely ask for your prayers for me in that department of my life (and if you want to pray for me in the other departments of my life, well, then shoot....you're great.  Well, you're great either way, but whatever....you get it). 

Umm...other than that...hmmm...what else is new?  I'm getting stoked for England!  I checked me and Dad's airplane seats last night.  We had a window seat for the flight over, but not for the flight back, so I changed that. Who wants the sucky center of the plane seats when you can have a window seat?!  Still need to purchase the London Pass and the train fare for London to Liverpool and then back.  I really should try to get on that this weekend. The last time I tried to buy the train fare it was too far in advance to buy it. Psht. Whatever.

I went to Allen East's football game last Friday and that was a bit depressing.  I mean, we lost (and badly), but that isn't what had me so bummed. It was a trend that I have seen at that school for the past few years: the kids have no spirit. Irritating.  My brother's argument was "could YOU get excited about this?", and my answer was basically "yea, I could and did".  We were not the best my senior year in high school, but I remember being hoarse the Saturday after every football game (and after almost all of the basketball games). The bottom line is, you cheer for your classmates. Kids need to be a little bit less concerned with looking dorky for cheering, and a little bit more concerned with having pride in things. Yea, I sometimes think Allen East isn't the best school ever, but I still have a lot of pride in that place, and I think others who went there/ go there should too.

My normal depression that fall is almost here has entered my life. Darn it all!  I was really thinking I wouldn't get that this year since I'm going to flipping England in October, but alas, I am bummed. I really enjoy the fall, it's just that fall means that winter is coming, and I really hate winter. Silly, I know.

Alright, enough of my randomness.