Shocking!

Wow...I am completely blown away. Not by this "startling" revelation (because, seriously, who DIDN'T see this coming)...but by one "Claymates" reaction to this news (as reported by the Associated Press):

"This is really shocking news as I had no idea he was gay," read a comment posted by "Sheridansq." "And now I have to deal with this. I am not sure what to say to people who know I was a fan. ... I didn't go to work today and am not answering the telephone."

Seriously? Seriously?!? Who does that? Who lets themselves get so consumed by pop culture that they can't function in society?! Yes, I enjoy reading about pop culture and celebrity gossip every now and then, but never to the extent that the people around me would feel compelled to host an intervention!

Now What?

Friday was the last day of the 1st quarter at my school...I cannot believe how quick it went! And now that the quarter is over, I have 2 weeks of vacation (thanks to the "modified year-round" schedule that Chandler has)! The only problem is that I think I may be kind of bored during these 2 weeks...I've never not had school and/or work, so I have no clue what I will be doing during my vacation. Sure, I probably should clean my house and it wouldn't hurt to do some laundry, but it definitely won't take the whole 2 weeks to do that stuff! If you are looking for a friend to do stuff with, call me up!

GNO!

My super awesome friend Sarah is in town visiting from lame old Washington, so we got our fantastic foursome together for a good old-fashion GNO (girls night out, for those of you who aren't as cool as me!). Amy, Alisha, Sarah, and I were practically inseparable during our single years. I have so many memories of horrible YSA activities, "awesome" dates, and general ruckus with these fabulous girls.

Aren't we pretty?

Hm, maybe not.

Yeah, definitely not!

No GNO would be complete without a trip to happy hour at Applebee's...

and someone always winds up with whip cream on their face!

By this point, it was WAY past my usual bedtime (which is 9:00!) so we were all getting a little punchy!

This photo will probably be sent in as our application for America's Next Top Model (if a he-she can be on ANTM, so can I!)

GNO is not just about having fun. We had many deep, philosophical discussions...topics included: ex-boyfriends, worst kisses, the affect of birth control on your bra size, and many others.

I have missed hanging out with these girls and this was definitely one of the most fun nights I've had in a long time. We will definitely have to do this again (maybe when Sarah comes back next month!).

TRUNK REPORT

A Conservative Blogger for the Ages

If you know my husband at all, you know he is passionate about many different things, especially politics! He is a political science major, he has worked (and continues to work) for different campaigns, and he has recently ventured into the world of political blogging. A few weeks ago TJ started a conservative blog called Trunk Report and it has already attracted over 800 visitors DAILY (and its continuing to grow)! Visit his site, read his posts, let him know what you think. I think its pretty great (but I am slightly biased!).

Things I {LOVE} About Mi Casa

1. The fact that I cannot open this drawer next to my stove without first OPENING the oven. How inconvenient is that? And since there isn't tons of storage space in this kitchen, I need to utilize this drawer. What really sucks in when I need something from this drawer when I'm cooking something in the oven...cause then I have to open the hot oven (and make my kitchen hotter than it already is) and try not to burn myself as I reach over the hot oven to get something out of the drawer. Lame.

2. Did you ever see that episode of Friends where Monica and Rachel have to live in Chandler and Joey's apartment...and they can't figure out what the light switch does? I have plugged a lamp into every single outlet in my house and still cannot figure out what it does! I really hope it controls my neighbors T.V.

3. This monstrosity. Granted, I really do love this because it provides cool air to my hot house...but its ugly and huge. I secretly refer to him as Eddie.

1. Multiple locks. For some reason, having more than just the standard locks on my door makes me feel like I should be paranoid.

2. The awesome security system. Whoever thought of putting a stick in sliding doors and windows was a genious...I have never felt safer.

But I am willing to over look all of these wonderful features because I am only paying $675 for a 2 bedroom apartment in Chandler (and I don't know the actual square footage, but in comparing it to my first apartment I would say that it is arould 900+). AND...I think one or two of the apartments by us are now vacant if you want in on this sweet deal!

Cooking With My Crockpot

Are you ready to be so proud of me?! After a year and a half of collecting dust, my crockpot was actually used this weekend! I found a yummy recipe here and decided to try it out

So I pulled out my crockpot, washed the dust off (cause I wasn't kidding about the dust!)...

...and put all my ingredients in (kinda looks gross...but just wait, it gets better!)

I kept thinking about my crockpot through all 3 hours of church. I was worried that the chicken would still be raw (cause I've had a bad slash funny-now-that-I-think-about-it situation involving feeding my bishop raw chicken), so I was way super excited when I came home and the chicken was perfect. It shredded easily and tasted yummy

...TJ liked it too!

Overall, here are my thoughts on the crockpot:

A. It was awesome that I only had to clean one thing (cause not having a dishwasher is lame)

B. It was awesome that lunch was ready as soon as I walked in the door.

C. It was awesome that I didn't have to stand over the stove, stir anything, or defrost stuff.

In summary, my crockpot is awesome.

So long, farewell!

In case you didn't know, I have two little sisters. Summer is 5 years younger than me, followed by Jess who is 8 years younger than me. Summer and Jessica have always been referred to as the "little girls"...so what am I supposed to think when one of these "little girls" is old enough to be heading off to college!? Summer is going to be attending BYU-Idaho and she is leaving tomorrow! I was able to spend Labor Day with her and say goodbye, since I probably won't see her again until Christmas. It was sad to say goodbye to her, since she is my mini-me, my amigo, my compadre, my "special helper", my friend. But I am so excited for her to start this brand new part of her life. I am slightly jealous, since I never experienced the "moving away from home to go to college and do college things with my college friends" thing...but Summer is a rock star and I know she is going to rock it at BYU-I. So farewell, my sister friend...until our faces should meet again (like, soon...on your webcam...talk to you soon!).