My name: Alice
childhood ambition: Princess fairy bride
fondest memory: the few days I spent in Switzerland
wildest dream: living in the star wars universe
proudest moment: hearing some of the responses to my blog
biggest challenge: these past 6 weeks
perfect day: a good book, a great camera and my family and friends.
indulgence: i have to list one, don't i? ice cream
last purchase: eclipse special edition
inspiration: my parents
My life: is coming along swimmingly
My card: American Express
No, I don't have an American Express card but I love their advertising. Which is why I did this. Also, check out the picture I added with it.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
National Parents Day; Iron Man
I declare today National Parents Day. Since I have a lot of pull at the Committee Who Decides National Holidays, I can do that. It is set for today, because it is the day right in between Mothers and Fathers Day (I think).
Because I am just plain awesome, I am making this interactive. I say what I'm grateful for about my parents, and in the comments you put what your grateful for. It doesn't have to be a lot, just "Thanks mom for making me pancakes", "Thanks dad for driving my silly self to baseball practice 5 nights a week" will suffice. Or, better yet, just tell your parents. The chances of them seeing my comments are astronomical, so that might be a better plan.
Since I am dead positive that 4 out of my 5 readers are adults, you might have different things your grateful for. But the idea still stands.
To those who might be saying "but Alice, they know we love them, why must we go through this silly practice?", I say this: you say (or at least you should) thank you to the bag boy at the grocery store, the stranger who holds the door, the ticket seller at the movie theater, the waiter at the restaurant. But do you remember the last time you thanked your parents for bringing you into this world? Don't even think about "just telling them tomorrow". Life is to unstable for waiting. You just can't know when something horrible, like a motorcycle accident, might happen.
Thanks Mom for driving me to dance 5 nights a week. For letting me cut and color my hair countless times, allowing me to experiment with make-up and clothes. For supporting my decision to buy a laptop, allowing me to work for it. Teaching me the desire to learn, giving me the tools to teach myself, rather then being fed information. Taking me to see the dolphins, walking to the park, helping me pack when I decided to run away, schlepping us kids all over town, reading me Harry Potter, picking me up at a friends at midnight, spending hours at the library. For being a great Mom.
Dad, thanks for sharing your love of the motorcycle with me. For letting me (and my brother) form and develop our own opinions and thoughts. For the countless debates and discussions that we had around our table. For catching me every time I jumped off whatever high surface you set me on, and dancing with me after you came home from work. All those years of Scare Em, those books you sped read and then threw under the couch, the time you tried to teach me long division when I was 6, taking us to Peter Piper Pizza when Mom was at work, sharing your love of music. Most of all, thank you for being an amazing Dad.
Before it gets to sappy (it might have already), lets talk about Iron Man. Everybody should go see it. Right now. Stop reading this and go to the theater. I have already seen it 3 times, but if you need company I will gladly go with you. The movie is amazing. I can't remember if I have already blogged about it, so thats all I'm gonna say.
You see, thats the problem with not blogging for weeks. You forget what you have already said. Which is a problem, because you run the risk of repeating yourself. But I seem to remember saying something about Robert Downey Jr.'s amazingness..... Well, you get the point.
Now please excuse me while I try and remember what I blogged previously.
UPDATE: I did blog about Iron Man! So glad I figured that out. I stand by my earlier statement of going to see it, but perhaps more vigorously. The more I see it the more I love it, I tell ya. Also, I would like to take a sentence to let my friend who checks for updates, and was continually disappointed I hadn't posted anything: I shall be writing more frequently now since life has settled down a bit, and thank you for being my friend and reading whatever my convoluted mind can excrete. Great magical mushrooms, its sappy again. IRON MAN!! IRON MAN!! IRON MAN!!
Because I am just plain awesome, I am making this interactive. I say what I'm grateful for about my parents, and in the comments you put what your grateful for. It doesn't have to be a lot, just "Thanks mom for making me pancakes", "Thanks dad for driving my silly self to baseball practice 5 nights a week" will suffice. Or, better yet, just tell your parents. The chances of them seeing my comments are astronomical, so that might be a better plan.
Since I am dead positive that 4 out of my 5 readers are adults, you might have different things your grateful for. But the idea still stands.
To those who might be saying "but Alice, they know we love them, why must we go through this silly practice?", I say this: you say (or at least you should) thank you to the bag boy at the grocery store, the stranger who holds the door, the ticket seller at the movie theater, the waiter at the restaurant. But do you remember the last time you thanked your parents for bringing you into this world? Don't even think about "just telling them tomorrow". Life is to unstable for waiting. You just can't know when something horrible, like a motorcycle accident, might happen.
Thanks Mom for driving me to dance 5 nights a week. For letting me cut and color my hair countless times, allowing me to experiment with make-up and clothes. For supporting my decision to buy a laptop, allowing me to work for it. Teaching me the desire to learn, giving me the tools to teach myself, rather then being fed information. Taking me to see the dolphins, walking to the park, helping me pack when I decided to run away, schlepping us kids all over town, reading me Harry Potter, picking me up at a friends at midnight, spending hours at the library. For being a great Mom.
Dad, thanks for sharing your love of the motorcycle with me. For letting me (and my brother) form and develop our own opinions and thoughts. For the countless debates and discussions that we had around our table. For catching me every time I jumped off whatever high surface you set me on, and dancing with me after you came home from work. All those years of Scare Em, those books you sped read and then threw under the couch, the time you tried to teach me long division when I was 6, taking us to Peter Piper Pizza when Mom was at work, sharing your love of music. Most of all, thank you for being an amazing Dad.
Before it gets to sappy (it might have already), lets talk about Iron Man. Everybody should go see it. Right now. Stop reading this and go to the theater. I have already seen it 3 times, but if you need company I will gladly go with you. The movie is amazing. I can't remember if I have already blogged about it, so thats all I'm gonna say.
You see, thats the problem with not blogging for weeks. You forget what you have already said. Which is a problem, because you run the risk of repeating yourself. But I seem to remember saying something about Robert Downey Jr.'s amazingness..... Well, you get the point.
Now please excuse me while I try and remember what I blogged previously.
UPDATE: I did blog about Iron Man! So glad I figured that out. I stand by my earlier statement of going to see it, but perhaps more vigorously. The more I see it the more I love it, I tell ya. Also, I would like to take a sentence to let my friend who checks for updates, and was continually disappointed I hadn't posted anything: I shall be writing more frequently now since life has settled down a bit, and thank you for being my friend and reading whatever my convoluted mind can excrete. Great magical mushrooms, its sappy again. IRON MAN!! IRON MAN!! IRON MAN!!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Top Gear
Is the funniest car show ever. 3 British guys and a bunch of awesome (and awful) cars. They review cars, take road trips (drove to the North Pole, drove through the USA South, made a trip across Africa), and play car soccer. I don't know what channel it is on (BBC, but I don't know how to get it in America). I just watch it on YouTube. Highly recommended.
I say that because my friend challenged me to find cars I like and could afford. And while I can see the reasoning behind that (how many people have 1.3 million laying around to splurge on a Bugatti Veyron?), there is no real reason I should limit myself. Why couldn't I get a Lotus, or Audi? I can't remember exactly who said it, but "The only thing stopping you from your dreams is yourself". If thats what I want, there is no logical reason as to why I can't one day own a Lotus Exige S 240, or an Audi R8.
For the record, I would take a Volkswagen Rabbit or Jetta, (starting new at 15,600 and 16,990 respectively) a Toyota Prius (starting new at 21,500), or a Honda Fit (starts at 13, 590). Just while I'm waiting, though.
And while all that is just grand, one of the happiest things I will ever see in my life is this -
(in case the picture quality is to poor, that is my dad. In his chair, at our house.)
I don't know that I will ever find a car that compares to that.
But I'm not opposed to looking.
I say that because my friend challenged me to find cars I like and could afford. And while I can see the reasoning behind that (how many people have 1.3 million laying around to splurge on a Bugatti Veyron?), there is no real reason I should limit myself. Why couldn't I get a Lotus, or Audi? I can't remember exactly who said it, but "The only thing stopping you from your dreams is yourself". If thats what I want, there is no logical reason as to why I can't one day own a Lotus Exige S 240, or an Audi R8.
For the record, I would take a Volkswagen Rabbit or Jetta, (starting new at 15,600 and 16,990 respectively) a Toyota Prius (starting new at 21,500), or a Honda Fit (starts at 13, 590). Just while I'm waiting, though.
And while all that is just grand, one of the happiest things I will ever see in my life is this -
(in case the picture quality is to poor, that is my dad. In his chair, at our house.)
I don't know that I will ever find a car that compares to that.
But I'm not opposed to looking.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Cue manical laughter
Folks, I had a fantastic weekend. I renewed my love for Apple, regenerated my love for AC/DC, fell in love with a wonderful book, and lost myself utterly and completely in an amazing movie. To top it of, I found some new pretty cars. Does it get better? No, my gentle readers, it does not.
I will start with my book. It's called The Host, by Stephenie Meyer (the woman writing the Twilight series). I am a huge fan of Twilight, and really doubted that she could equal or top herself. Never have I been so happy to be proven wrong. It started a little slow, but picked up and was completely gripping. The characters were very well written, the plot was intricate, it was morally intriguing, and was thrilling until the very last page. The Host takes the cake for best book I have read in quite awhile. (It's a science fiction book)
Aw, AC/DC. I was never really a big fan, but as of recently I have been craving the drums and crazy guitar. So, my new favorite AC/DC songs are Back in Black and Hells Bells (sorry Mom).
Now, the movie. Yesterday my friend's mom called. Her son wanted to see Iron Man, but she didn't want him to go alone, and his sister (my friend) would go if I went. Did I want to? I said sure, and we made a plan to see the 1:00 showing. Earlier I had been planning on seeing it with my brother, but it couldn't hurt to go now.
It was so good. Robert Downey Jr. was amazing and had a lot of fun in his role of Tony Stark/Iron Man. It didn't hurt that he is pretty easy to look at. The supporting cast (Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrance Howard) did a superb job. The score was very well done, keeping with the tone of the movie (lots of heavy guitar and drums, ya!), CGI was not stupidly over the top, the dialog was witty and entertaining, with minimal cheesy-ness. It was a "guy" movie in some ways, i.e. lots of blowing things up, fast cars, fighting, ect. Personally, I like the blowing stuff up and fast cars, so it was all good. Over all, it was a first class movie. Which is why, when my brother got home that very same day, I hustled him to the 7:30 show. It was just as amazing the second time around.
Which leads me to the cars. Oh, they were pretty. And so, so fast. I got these cars from Iron Man. First, the Saleen S7. Capable of over 200 mph, 0-60 in under 3 seconds and, unless I am very much mistaken, 750 bhp. This is the orange car in Tony's garage. $395,000
The Audi R8. Oh my goodness. It's yummy. 420hp, 0-62 in 4.6 seconds, manual 6 speed transmission, top speed of 187mph, and leather interior. Its sleek, its fast, and it starts at $109,000. A friend once asked me if I had a dream car. I think this just might qualify. This car in the movie is driven a lot of places. It is silver with black side panels.
The Telsa Roadster. Any car that has pictures for the "exterior" and the "cockpit" has to be cool. And this is no exception. The 2008 Telsa Roadster is the first 100% electric sports car, going from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 248hp peak, top speed of 125mph, and it has heated seats. Inspired by the Lotus Elise, with design help from Lotus cars. My favorite thing about this car is it's electric. That just tickles me no end. $98,000
Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Holy cow. 1,001 total hp (this information is coming from the Bugatti website), with a top speed of over 400km per hour (thats 248 mph), 0-62 in 2.5 seconds. German made, it has a price tag of $1.3 million.
Lamborghini Revneton. Inspired by the F-22 Raptor, 650hp, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. It apparently comes with a built in G-Force meter. I can't decide if that is necessary or aesthetic. $1.54600 million dollars.
Whew. Well, that is just about all that has happened as of recently, so I am now going to read my Discover magazine. Good day, and good luck.
I will start with my book. It's called The Host, by Stephenie Meyer (the woman writing the Twilight series). I am a huge fan of Twilight, and really doubted that she could equal or top herself. Never have I been so happy to be proven wrong. It started a little slow, but picked up and was completely gripping. The characters were very well written, the plot was intricate, it was morally intriguing, and was thrilling until the very last page. The Host takes the cake for best book I have read in quite awhile. (It's a science fiction book)
Aw, AC/DC. I was never really a big fan, but as of recently I have been craving the drums and crazy guitar. So, my new favorite AC/DC songs are Back in Black and Hells Bells (sorry Mom).
Now, the movie. Yesterday my friend's mom called. Her son wanted to see Iron Man, but she didn't want him to go alone, and his sister (my friend) would go if I went. Did I want to? I said sure, and we made a plan to see the 1:00 showing. Earlier I had been planning on seeing it with my brother, but it couldn't hurt to go now.
It was so good. Robert Downey Jr. was amazing and had a lot of fun in his role of Tony Stark/Iron Man. It didn't hurt that he is pretty easy to look at. The supporting cast (Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrance Howard) did a superb job. The score was very well done, keeping with the tone of the movie (lots of heavy guitar and drums, ya!), CGI was not stupidly over the top, the dialog was witty and entertaining, with minimal cheesy-ness. It was a "guy" movie in some ways, i.e. lots of blowing things up, fast cars, fighting, ect. Personally, I like the blowing stuff up and fast cars, so it was all good. Over all, it was a first class movie. Which is why, when my brother got home that very same day, I hustled him to the 7:30 show. It was just as amazing the second time around.
Which leads me to the cars. Oh, they were pretty. And so, so fast. I got these cars from Iron Man. First, the Saleen S7. Capable of over 200 mph, 0-60 in under 3 seconds and, unless I am very much mistaken, 750 bhp. This is the orange car in Tony's garage. $395,000
The Audi R8. Oh my goodness. It's yummy. 420hp, 0-62 in 4.6 seconds, manual 6 speed transmission, top speed of 187mph, and leather interior. Its sleek, its fast, and it starts at $109,000. A friend once asked me if I had a dream car. I think this just might qualify. This car in the movie is driven a lot of places. It is silver with black side panels.
The Telsa Roadster. Any car that has pictures for the "exterior" and the "cockpit" has to be cool. And this is no exception. The 2008 Telsa Roadster is the first 100% electric sports car, going from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 248hp peak, top speed of 125mph, and it has heated seats. Inspired by the Lotus Elise, with design help from Lotus cars. My favorite thing about this car is it's electric. That just tickles me no end. $98,000
Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Holy cow. 1,001 total hp (this information is coming from the Bugatti website), with a top speed of over 400km per hour (thats 248 mph), 0-62 in 2.5 seconds. German made, it has a price tag of $1.3 million.
Lamborghini Revneton. Inspired by the F-22 Raptor, 650hp, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. It apparently comes with a built in G-Force meter. I can't decide if that is necessary or aesthetic. $1.54600 million dollars.
Whew. Well, that is just about all that has happened as of recently, so I am now going to read my Discover magazine. Good day, and good luck.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Surprises and spiders
Last night I typed up a post. I hit Publish, and then went on to check my mail, mess around on iTunes, pick gunk from under my nails, ect. The stuff everybody does after blogging. So imagine my surprise this morning when I opened up my blog and found my new entry wasn't there. My question is - why do you do this to me, Blogspot? I hit Publish and you thumb your nose in my direction and cry out "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" (name that movie reference).
Since Dad has not yet deemed us worthy and continues his stint in ICU, Mom is with him a lot. That means I have to up my self sufficent-ness. An example.
I really hate spiders. It might have been mentioned before. So yesterday, when I walked into the hall and saw a brown spider, I just about joined Dad in ICU with a heart attack. Or respiratory arrest. Probably both. But I digress.
My first thought was to kill the thing. It wasn't that big, and if I could find a tennis shoes it'd be even smaller (I think I hear environmentalists gasping in shock). Subsequent to that idea was "Mom would fillet me". Being health conscious as I am, I tried to think of a different plan. The best scheme I could come up was to put a cup over it and wait for somebody to take it away.
I put the cup on it, and went into the kitchen, succumbing to the shivers of fear and revulsion. Ya, I'm brave. After about 20 seconds, it occurred to me that spiders could squeeze through really small cracks. Like the crack between the cup and wood floor. Wait, wasn't that cockroaches? No, it must have been spiders. Roaches could survive huge amounts of radiation (100 times the lethal dose for a human), but spiders could get under stuff. I think. Um....
Not wanting to take any chance of the little booger escaping, I put a huge book on top of the make shift prison cell. Secure in my victory, I strutted back to the kitchen. Which is about when it struck me that a savior might not come back for quite some time. As in hours, not minutes. There was no way I was going to let that thing defile my good floor but sitting for hours. It would probably poop or something.
After sucking it up, I got a piece of paper (the nice kind, not the flimsy kind). It took me 4 tries to get the paper under the cup (couldn't risk an escape), and flip it all over. Once I finished squealing, I shuffled outside, walking 50 feet. The mailbox was the chosen release point, and as soon as the deed was down and the spider gently chucked, I ran back to the house.
Aren't you all glad I started a blog to share my scary spider stories with you? I know I am.
Since Dad has not yet deemed us worthy and continues his stint in ICU, Mom is with him a lot. That means I have to up my self sufficent-ness. An example.
I really hate spiders. It might have been mentioned before. So yesterday, when I walked into the hall and saw a brown spider, I just about joined Dad in ICU with a heart attack. Or respiratory arrest. Probably both. But I digress.
My first thought was to kill the thing. It wasn't that big, and if I could find a tennis shoes it'd be even smaller (I think I hear environmentalists gasping in shock). Subsequent to that idea was "Mom would fillet me". Being health conscious as I am, I tried to think of a different plan. The best scheme I could come up was to put a cup over it and wait for somebody to take it away.
I put the cup on it, and went into the kitchen, succumbing to the shivers of fear and revulsion. Ya, I'm brave. After about 20 seconds, it occurred to me that spiders could squeeze through really small cracks. Like the crack between the cup and wood floor. Wait, wasn't that cockroaches? No, it must have been spiders. Roaches could survive huge amounts of radiation (100 times the lethal dose for a human), but spiders could get under stuff. I think. Um....
Not wanting to take any chance of the little booger escaping, I put a huge book on top of the make shift prison cell. Secure in my victory, I strutted back to the kitchen. Which is about when it struck me that a savior might not come back for quite some time. As in hours, not minutes. There was no way I was going to let that thing defile my good floor but sitting for hours. It would probably poop or something.
After sucking it up, I got a piece of paper (the nice kind, not the flimsy kind). It took me 4 tries to get the paper under the cup (couldn't risk an escape), and flip it all over. Once I finished squealing, I shuffled outside, walking 50 feet. The mailbox was the chosen release point, and as soon as the deed was down and the spider gently chucked, I ran back to the house.
Aren't you all glad I started a blog to share my scary spider stories with you? I know I am.
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