memories...

I was looking through some old photos today & ran across a set of them that made me laugh, so I've decided to share them all. At camp a few friends & I tried to get a good photo of us all & it took quite a while to get a good shot--if it ever even happened--but we did have a lot of fun doing it. So here are a few of my favorite people...

twilight.

I have promised myself that I won't get sucked into pop culture phenomenon anymore. Being twenty-four, I can remember the days of New Kids on the Block, 'N Sync, Titanic, etc. In an attempt to 'protect' myself from getting sucked in I have avoided Twilight...until this last weekend. It was decent...though I'm not worried about letting Robert Pattinson fill the void that Leo left in my heart years ago (even though I still have love for Leo). I did enjoy the movie, but the best part is the music. One thing Leo did not do is perform for the soundtrack, they left that up to Celine Dion, on the other hand Robert Pattinson did...& he is amazing. So go out & pick yourself up a copy of the soundtrack & listen to "Never Think" & "Let Me Sign". But if you're struggling with a little 'Robbie P. obsession' you either already know this or you should probably avoid the soundtrack for all our sake.

gnomes. cars. keno.

The things that strike me as oddly amusing would go unnoticed by most people. In fact sometimes I find things so diverting that I just have to stop & take a photo of it, for example: there was one time when two Toyota Camrys parked on either side of my Camry & the time we found a lawn gnome outside a Starbucks & pretty much any time someone falls asleep in a public place. So today, while eating lunch at a Mexican food restaurant, I had another one of those experiences. Everybody eating with me had a plain, clear drinking glass except, of course, for the lady sitting next to me who had, no joke, a Keno "superhero" glass. When I first noticed it, I almost spewed the water I had just put into my mouth...but trying to explain why I got water all over the nice man sitting across from me wouldn't be all so entertaining. So I just sat alone & chuckled to myself over the random Keno glass...I'm sure it will keep me entertained for days.

i so hate consequences.

When I was growing up I was allergic to dairy products, so my mom had to buy non-dairy everything. One of my favorite non-dairy snacks was this cheese she used to get...although it sounds pretty gross now. Well one night I was being particularly bratty & I insisted that I must have some cheese. My mom sliced up a few pieces for me & my dad told me, 'if you don't finish all of those you can't watch "Alf" tonight!' Being about four years old, I couldn't imagine not being able to watch Alf...but I wasn't through being a brat that night. I sat in my parents room & ate a lot of the cheese, but during my messing around I dropped a piece on the floor & it became covered in gross hair & lint. I decided to bring the dirty piece out & not eat it, but my father, not knowing it was dirty, told me I better eat it or no 'Alf.' I refused & was sent straight to bed.

As an adult the mistakes I've made are much more serious than screwing around & dropping a piece of cheese. In the same way, my consequences are much bigger than not being able to watch 'Alf' before bed. If only life was still that easy. It's good to know that with every mistake I make, I am able to pick myself up again & face the consequences as a better, more understanding person. I'm far from becoming the person I would like to be & even then I'll still be looking to improve...it's good to know I'm going the right direction & have wonderful company along for the journey.

that blasted curve ball.

What do you do with the unexpected curve ball? Life's treking along quite nicely then all of the sudden 'bang!' it comes at you full force. At this point you pretty much have two options: A. watch it fly on past you as you strike out, or B. swing at it with everything you've got.

I'm personally not a fan of the curve balls- if life seems to be moving along quite nicely why interrupt it? How annoying! But they still keep coming...some of them I let pass by & others I swing at. So what do I do with this one now? Well maybe I should go down swinging- who knows, maybe I'll knock it out of the park.

the dreams of today

Hi. My name's Michelle & I am commitment-ally challenged.

This is characterized by a general tendency to become bored with life, never being able to come to a firm decision, always keeping an eye out for something better to come along, & relationships?...well let's not even go there.

In the past I have picked up & moved across the country because I felt claustrophobic with life. It was an amazing time in my life & I learned a lot about myself...but by the end I was ready for the next chapter to come along. I'm terrified of becoming 'bogged down' & not being able to experience the adventures that may or may not come along.

I'm twenty-four & even though all my friends tell me I'm really not that old I'm not getting any younger! This is the perfect time for me to experience all that life has to offer...& I'm trying to make the most of where I'm at & gain all the experiences I can before I move on. I don't want to live in the land of "what-ifs" I want to make things happen!

Maybe I just haven't found something that holds my interest long enough to keep me from looking the other direction. There's so much potential out there & I'm wanting to find myself some!

For now, I'm going to soak up as much as I can where I'm at & continue to dream...& perhaps maybe this fear of commitment thing will start to work itself out along the way.

resourceful & environmentally friendly

Given the current state of our economy many people are cutting down the spending...& rightfully so considering excessive, needless spending has gotten me into a mess. This in mind, I have come up with a few creative ideas for those old credit cards we clearly don't need. I am no Martha Stewart, mind you, nor would I ever desire to strive to be any version of her, but I think my ideas may come in handy...for someone.

1. For the struggling musicians who can't spare a buck, just take a pair of scissors & fashion yourself some rather expensive guitar picks.

2. Cut them in half & use them as a scraping device for all the gum stuck under those tables & chairs or for the crusty food left on your dirty plates.

3. Plastic "Chinese throwing stars"...enough said really.

4. Cut a jagged edge on one side & use it as a meat tenderizer...it really makes those cheap steaks taste much better.

5. Cut them into thin lines & use them to dig out those pesty little food bits that get stuck in your teeth.

6. Draw a checkerboard on a piece of paper & use cut up pieces of your old plastic as the checkers.

I hope this has inspired you to put your old plastic to good use. Now I'm off to find the scissors & create a few new ideas.

ciao!