I'm back

Hi!

Sooooo I've been gone for two and a half years. Jeeze time flies. I originally wrote "I've been gone for a year" before checking my last post which was July 2012. I then changed it to "i've been gone for a year and a half" and then I did the actual math and it's been two and a half years.

What's happened since then....

I left this on draft for another 5 years is what happened!! 

I'm going to hit "Publish" on this baby without thinking which is what 2020 does to people. I've been through a lot. The world has been through more. A re-cap seems unreasonable to both read and write. I think I'll carry on like nothing has happened and fill in the gaps as they come up.

Alex

15 Day Challenge: Day 15

It's the last one!!!!

How sad, now I'll have to go back to writing about books and things. Don't worry, I have quite a few to review from March so there should be a nice build up.

On to the challenge!

Day 15: What is the best compliment you've ever received.


So way back when, when I was still in high school, my mom's side of the family would come together and throw a massive Thanksgiving Dinner party for the city of Calistoga so that those without family or friends in the area at the time could enjoy the day as well at no cost.


The idea was born from my grandmother's soup kitchen, and the troops rallied and came forth. My mom's side of the family is fairly large, so we had a staff of anywhere from 18 to 27. 

For a year my job was to go around and help take orders/serve people but my Gramma got it into her head that there should be live music. Since I was the only one who diligently practiced for piano lessons and didn't suffer from crippling stage fright I got put in charge of that.


For at least a month before, I would carefully select/practice songs that weren't too depressing or too distracting, despite the fact that those tend to be my favorite songs to play and came easiest to me. The evening was about them and not me.

I received many compliments those nights (I was in a room full of grandparents, I could have been playing super badly and would have still gotten compliments) but by far my favorite one was when a little old lady came by in the middle of a song and told me that she enjoyed my playing and  really appreciated my song selections because it was perfect for the mood of the dinner - not too distracting but not completely bland either.

This meant a lot too me because it means she 1) payed attention for more than a song, 2) noticed something that I wasn't advertising (I wasn't like "guys, appreciate me because I"m NOT being "focus on me"  right now)  and 3) approached me during a song I knew well so I could talk to her and pay attention and not stop playing.

We don't do those Thanksgiving Dinners as a family anymore, the event was taken over by other members in the community, but those were very fun times in my life and I appreciate my Gramma  so much for making it happen and my family for being game to do it.


I know that was long, but hopefully you got a good feeling from it! I'm glad I found some new blogs to follow and got to know some older faves better!

Have a great July!

15 Day Challenge: Day 14

Day 14: If you were only allowed to watch one movie for the rest of your life, what movie would it be and why?

This is what I get for not reading all the prompts ahead a time!

There are two movies right now that would make the cut of watching on repeat for the rest of my life. (assuming I can't sneak in a DVD set of a TV show).

Megamind, because I don't think I'll ever get tired of that wascally blue villain pronouncing "school" "schhhhooool" and it has good music so i can fast forward through parts and make it like a CD.

And the other one would be the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice. I may have watched that on repeat for a few days. People knew I liked it so much that I got two copies of the DVD and both of them got lent to people and then never returned (I presume, I wish I remembered who I lent them to).

The reason for that one is mostly the cinematography and the soundtrack. Everywhere is so beautiful and the music fits so perfectly and it's just a  perfect combination for if you want a watch a movie but you're not sure you'll be able to pay attention to it, but you don't have to pause because a) you know what's going to happen and b) you won't get distracted by it still going on in the background , and c) it will unconsciously help mellow you out.



That was a really long sentence. Forgive me, I got carried away.

I'm definitely interested in seeing what everyone else wrote for this one! I'm on the lookout for new movies to watch!

Hope y'all enjoy your weekend!

15 Day Challenge: Days 12 and 13

Hi everyone!

Sorry I'm so late on this, I've been busy at work and then spending hours exploring Seattle with new eyes while my cousin, Kelly visits me!


I just got home and am devoting a half hour to getting my internet shizz together!

So on to business!

Day 12: What are you most looking forward to in the next 6 months.

I have two trips to LA that I"m super excited for. One in October to go to Disneyland with my cousins Kelly and Angela. We're going to stay at a hotel over there and everything because when I was a kid we always had to drive in from house (I know, I sound so spoiled)

The second thing is my mom got us tickets to see the Book of Mormon musical when it comes to LA and Shauna's going to come down with me and meet everyone!!!! woohoo!!!


Day 13: List your Favorites:

Kitten: Toms. No, Nox. No, Toms. Oh I can't pick, I like them both so much! Here's some pictures :)

                        



Book: My go to with this is Pride and Prejudice but I haven't been able to read it through for a few years (I think I burnt myself out). I'm still really diggin' The Magicians by Lev Grossman. If you didn't believe me the first billion times you should read it. Then go forth and read it.


Musical: This changes a lot. Right now I'm going to give a shout out to Next to Normal since the ones I think will be my favorite I haven't really seen yet.


Movie: MEGAMIND!!!! It's such a good feel good movie. Tina Fey is amazing, as usual and Will Ferrel is not annoying since you can't see his face.

Current TV Show: The Newsroom

Cancelled TV Shows: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Color: Purple!!!!

15 Day Challenge: Day 11

Day 11: What is one thing that you would never change about yourself.

Personality-wise: I think I'm a fairly patient and kind person (most would say too kind), especially to strangers. This backfires a lot on me, but I wouldn't want to avoid those situations if it means I have to be ruder/meaner/less open minded.

Physically: I'd never dye my hair. It's so pretty as it is, and no matter how much I want to cut it all off and dye it with streaks of blue/purple, I definitely won't seriously consider doing that until I start going grey. 

I'm excited to see what everyone else is writing.

Also, If you noticed I missed 10, I did.. I unintentionally worked myself into a really bad mood trying to think of a good one (and thus remembering all of my other humiliating experiences that weren't also adorably cute and funny) that I decided to cut my losses and bypass it. I'm sure as soon as this one is over, a perfect situation will come out and I might decide to revisit.

15 Day Challenge: Day 9

Day 9: Describe the best day of your life, to date.

One Christmas/New Year season my entire family decided to go to Disneyland. I grew up in Southern California, so I went to Disneyland a lot as a child. (It's one of the things I miss most about SoCal) but whenever my extended family would come it was extra special. 

First we always get a hotel in the area whenever there's more than 8 of us. Kelly, Angela, and I were old enough to have our own room at this point and tall enough to go on all the rides so the trip in itself was already special.

 On New Year's Eve I remember going on Splash Mountain three times in a row (Because everyone was at the parade and there was no line) and then running over to California Adventures to see the Aladdin show and getting out just in time to get to Main Street to watch the fireworks display. No waiting, no fighting, it was awesome. 

Talking to the adults now, you realize trips like that were stressful, but since we were old enough to go off on our own and young enough to not worry about things, it was the perfect day for me! 

So there you go, pretty simple but it doesn't take a lot to make me happy!

15 Day Challenge: Day 8

Thank you for all the wonderful Birthday Messages guys! I really appreciate it! Now on to today's post.

Day 8: Describe "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of yourself

The Good

I am really good at accepting all the hiccups in life, saying "C'est la vie",  and moving on and not looking to blame someone else. Sometimes things just happen.

I'm an overachiever and will continually go the extra mile for friends/clients/strangers. 

I love reading! I feel like it helps me be empathetic with other people and situations that I would not normally understand.

According to my cousin "I'm a crazy fast typist".

The Bad

I let people take advantage of me, but I know they're doing it and let it happen anyway. And  then I decide that I'm never really going to like them.

I don't make the effort to be really good friends with more than 5 people at once. I like people, and I'm nice but once I have a good friend I'm like...I don't really need another one. So thanks Shauna, you filled my quota. 

   The Ugly

I can be really fretful about things that I'm not sure of yet. If I'm running late, I worry about it (like tap my foot/stomp my feet worry) until I"m actually late and then after that I'm like "what's another 15 minutes"

I have no idea how to do my hair/make up. Sometimes it works/ sometimes it doesn't

It takes me MONTHS to work up the nerve to go to a hair stylist. I hate small talk. I also usually go to students because then I don't have to commit to going back to them.